Less Than Friends
by Dustmites
Summary: Scorpius and Rose have never known anything but hatred towards each other, but are they each harboring secret feelings? Set post-Hogwarts, epilogue compliant, M for later lemon and language.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you recognize and I am not profiting from this in any way.**_

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This is only going to be a short story, maybe a three-shot if I can manage to churn enough out. **

**This story will follow Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley, with mentions of a Draco/Hermione relationship (which occurred **_**years**_** before their kids were born, nothing too bad). There will also be mentions of relationships between other characters, some from the novels and others creations of my own mind. I hope you enjoy, and please review. Your reviews mean an awful lot to me, and they always make me smile.**

**Rating exists for: Swearing, later lemons, alcohol and substance use**

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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**_

_**June 19**__**th**__**, 2024**_

Rose shut the heavy tome she was reading with a sigh. She couldn't concentrate. Her brother, Hugo, was the reason why she could not concentrate. Hugo Weasley was the King of Gryffindor now that James Potter had graduated the year before. He was currently celebrating the end of the school year by showing off and downing an entire bottle of firewhiskey as quickly as he could. His main audience was squealing girls, all of them desperate to be the object of Hugo's affections.

Rose snorted loudly as Hugo choked on his drink, spraying a mouthful of it on his loving audience, who strangely enough didn't seem to mind. She stood, tucked her book beneath her arm, deciding she would lug the heavy text to the library instead of struggling to concentrate whilst her brother was fawned upon by his adoring, and sometimes obsessive, fans. Bloody Hugo.

If Rose was to be completely honest, she would say she was jealous of her younger brother. At fifteen, he was growing to be handsome with tousled brown hair and the same bright blue eyes which she possessed. He didn't achieve too well academically, but he had been named Gryffindor's best ever Keeper every year since he had been appointed the position on the Gryffindor team in his second year. His impressive sporting skill, easy charisma and casual charm had boosted his popularity in the school by tenfold. He even held the respect of many of the Slytherins. His good looks did not go astray, either, and he was constantly followed by swarms of females.

It wasn't as though Rose was unattractive. She had wavy red hair which girls envied and beautiful, bright blue eyes, but she was practical as well. She wore her hair in the same ponytail each day to keep it from irritating her whilst she studied. The other girls in her dormitory scoffed at the fact that she never wore any makeup but she saw no need to tart herself up like they did. Nor did she feel the compelling urge to roll her skirt up a few more inches, instead wearing it at the obligatory length. This disregard for her appearance earned her the titles of Teacher's Pet and Prude, not that she even cared what her classmates thought of her appearance. She was more concerned with her grades.

That being said, she wasn't very charismatic, nor was she particularly charming. She was a damn good Quidditch player, but she didn't play for the team as it impacted on her studies. She preferred to watch her brother succeed in that respect, though she had wiped the pitch with his ass more times than she could remember in the games they played with the rest of their family. She still wished she could be as popular as Hugo sometimes, though. Or as loved by her father as Hugo was. Her father seemed to value athleticism over intellect, and to say that didn't hurt would be a lie. Hugo got attention lavished upon him by their father, Ronald Weasley, for his various sporting achievements, whilst Hermione Weasley, Rose and Hugo's mother, treated Rose to small tokens for her esteemed academic prowess.

Rose was the top of her grade, destined to graduate as valedictorian, followed closely by Scorpius Malfoy, resident King of Slytherin. He had more notches in his belt than Hugo could ever hope for. Like father like son, according to the stories Hermione had told Rose. Draco Malfoy, esteemed CEO of Malfoy Industries, used to be as promiscuous as his son was now. Scorpius seemed to be the perfect male: smart, handsome, sexually pleasing, and an excellent Quidditch player. Even Hugo aspired to be him.

Speaking of Hugo, Rose mouthed an "I'm telling mum," over the heads of his adoring fans as she slipped out of the Gryffindor Common Room. The last sight she saw before the portrait closed behind her was a terror-stricken Hugo jumping down the table he had been perched upon, only he managed to face plant quite spectacularly instead. Rose chuckled to herself as she made her way through the corridors of Hogwarts, the trip to the library a familiar one. The library was her sanctuary and she frequented the dusty area at least twice a day.

She reached the large doors to the library and smiled as she walked through, her footsteps echoing against the cold stone floor. The library was entirely devoid of students seeing as exams were over and they would all be departing for their summer holiday in two days. Prior to that there was the graduation ceremony and the end of term feast. Until then, however, the students of Hogwarts were free to do as they pleased, as long as it remained within the rules. Rose should know – she was Head Girl.

Tucking a small piece of hair which had come loose of her ponytail behind her ear, Rose slid into her favourite table at the back of the library, placing her book on the table. It was an old magical medical journal, something she was deeply fascinated in. She had gone so far as to apply for an internship at St Mungo's, though she was fully aware the hospital only took on three new interns each year and competition from wizards and witches all over the world was fierce.

As Rose began to read a paragraph on the first recorded case of Dragon Pox she heard someone enter the library and judging by the sound of their approaching footsteps, she deduced they were on their way to see her. The footsteps came to a halt and Rose looked up, frowning at the disturbance.

"Finally," breathed the intruder, Scorpius Malfoy, as he sidled into the seat opposite her. "You're fucking impossible to find. You know that, right?" He looked at her pointedly, waiting for an answer, grey eyes narrowed to slits.

"No, I was unaware of that fact. Thank you so much for bringing it to light," Rose shut her book with a dull thud. "What do you want, Scorpius?" she asked patiently. If he was trying to find her then it would have to be something to do with their Head duties. They didn't speak outside of planning prefect rotations and sorting out detentions for misbehaving students, and now that there was scarcely anytime left to punish students, he would have found her to talk about their graduation speech.

"I'm glad you now know how impossible you are to find. Also, did you know your brother is absolutely pissed? I tripped over him on my way up to your common room when I went to find you. He's passed out next to a pile of his own vomit," Scorpius stated casually, checking his nails. Rose let out an impatient sigh and he smirked. Another family trait, according to her mother. "Professor Hockenhaw wanted me to let you know that your speech for tomorrow night 'moved him to tears', and that is a direct quote."

"Brilliant. Now that you've told me that, can you leave?" Rose asked but Scorpius didn't move. She rolled her eyes at him and returned to her book, trying to focus on the words. Her focus kept being broken, however, as Scorpius felt the compelling need to tap repeatedly on the table to some nonsensical tune. "Do you mind?" she said between gritted teeth and his smirk returned to his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is my tapping irritating you?" his voice was smooth and innocent but his twinkling eyes and devious smile told another story entirely. "I could stop, but I think I'm quite the musician. The noise soothes me."

"Shove your noise up your ass," Rose snapped. She got to her feet and grabbed her text before Scorpius could annoy her further and left him and his irritating tapping behind her as she exited the library with long strides. She quickened her pace when she heard him in pursuit, for once glad that she had inherited her father's height and long legs. She skidded around the corner and fell with an almighty thump to the ground, her book flying out of her hand.

"What the fuck, Hugo?" she groaned, clambering over the barely conscious form of her brother who was moaning. She felt her hand squelch into something disgusting and shrieked. She had just put her hand in her brother's vomit. "Hugo! What the hell is wrong with you?" she wiped the vomit on her brother's robe and applied a quick _Scourgify_ to her hand, thoroughly removing all traces of her Hugo's sick. As if that wasn't bad enough, Scorpius' footfalls had come to a halt and she could practically hear his smirk.

"If I wasn't so much of an ass I might help you," the Slytherin drawled and Rose turned her head to see him leaning against a wall, his grin a mile wide. Rose's eyes narrowed in his direction and she tossed her red hair over her shoulder and out of the way as she stood, ensuring her brother got a good kick in the guts. Hugo groaned and clutched his stomach. "You're not even going to help your brother up? Where's that Gryffindor unity?"

"Why are you such a prick, Scorpius?" Rose asked as she dusted herself off, summoning her book with a flick of her wand.

"I'm a Malfoy. It's what we do," Scorpius shrugged. "I quite enjoy it, actually. You should try it sometimes instead of living in that perfect cookie cutter image of a goody-two-shoes. My father told me that your mother was exactly the same as you are."

"Funny, my mother said your dad was as much of a self-centred, arrogant asshole as you've turned out to be. I guess some things just run in the family," she retorted, turning on her heel to walk away. As she neared the end of the corridor she heard the Slytherin's footsteps approaching and she groaned in annoyance. "Why are you following me?"

"I'm bored, and you're quite entertaining once I've riled you up. It gets me all hot just thinking about it," Scorpius tossed a casual arm over her shoulder and she shrugged it off immediately, lengthening her strides. Unfortunately for her, they were equal in height and he matched her pace.

"You've never shown an interest in annoying _me_ specifically prior to tonight," she pointed out. "Why would that be?" They were nearing the Gryffindor common room and she just wanted to have a hot shower and climb into bed. One of the perks of being Head Girl was an entire dormitory to herself in Gryffindor Tower, including her own private bathroom.

"I figured I should get my last dose of annoying you in now seeing as our time together is coming to an end," a false sadness dripped into his voice. "Will you miss me, Rosie?"

Rose faltered at the use of her nickname. She never let anyone, outside of her mother and Albus, call her Rosie. She was always just Rose. "Don't call me that," she growled and he laughed. She wished she could just smack the laughter right out of him and never have to see his arrogant face again. "Well, as much fun as this has been, my dormitory's in here and I've seen enough of your face to last me a lifetime."

"Why so mean, Rosie?" Scorpius simpered, his grey eyes wide. "Don't you love me anymore?"

"I'm afraid not," she sighed, feigning regret. "Now, goodnight." She whispered the password to the Fat Lady who swung open to let her in after watching the exchange with amused eyes. As Rose went to step through the portrait hole, Scorpius' fingers wrapped around her upper arm and pulled her close to him.

"Don't forget, Rosie. I'm Head Boy. I know every single password in this castle," he murmured in her ear. "What would you do if I slipped into your dormitory in the night and had my wicked way with you?"

Licking her lips she moved her lips to his ear. "I would scream in satisfaction as I ripped your tiny cock off," she muttered quietly in a moment of Gryffindor courage. His shocked grip slackened and she slipped through the portrait hole, laughing like a maniac and leaving a very shocked Scorpius Malfoy outside, gaping like a fish out of water.

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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**_

_**June 20**__**th**__**, 2024 **_

"I would like you all to join me in welcoming our Head Boy and Girl for this year to the podium, Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley."

Polite applause filled the Great Hall as Rose ascended the podium where Professor Hockenhaw had been standing moments ago. Scorpius was right behind her though was nowhere near as nervous as she was. Her palms were sweaty and no matter what she did, she could not stop fiddling with the sleeve of her black graduation gown, even when Scorpius elbowed her sharply. Shooting him a glare, she fumbled with her notes and placed them before her, clearing her throat.

"Every student that passes through the halls of this prestigious school will have a different story to tell, a different series of events to recount to their parents who wait at home through the school year, anxious for their return," Rose began, looking out on the audience. "I am no different. I can assure you that there is not a single person in this school who shares the same experiences that I do, nor is there a single person in this school who shares their exact experiences with anyone else."

"I stand here tonight as the highest scoring student for my year, something which I could not have achieved without the experiences that I had within Hogwarts. The people I have to thank for the wonderful times I have spent here at Hogwarts are, of course, the teachers. They have remained with this school through thick and through thin, completely devoted to teaching the hoards of eager students who flock to Hogwarts at the beginning of each year."

"Without them, there would not even _be_ a Hogwarts for us all to attend, to teach us, to shape us, to help us live. On behalf of the graduating student body of 2024, I would like to thank each and every teacher who has aided us in our success. I would like to thank every person who has helped us through these past seven years, and I would like to thank each person who believes in us. Without your help, without your strength, without your belief, I can assure you that we would not be here today."

"It is because of you that we begin our lives after tonight, and I ask you all to welcome Hogwarts' graduating class of 2024," Rose finished, stepping back from the podium as the grand old doors to the Great Hall flew open and the students of her year walked down to the front rows, amidst loud applause from family members and friends. Beaming, Rose and Scorpius, who was looking rather bored with the ceremony, stepped down from the makeshift platform and took their places in their respective rows.

Professor Hocklehurst, the jolly man who had taken over the position of Headmaster following Minerva McGonagall's retirement, returned to the stage with a broad smile on his round face. He began to call the names of each student in alphabetical order, the named person standing, walking across the platform to accept their diploma, shaking hands with Professor Hocklehurst before returning to their seat. The process was a long one and Rose was positively bouncing with excitement as each student's diploma brought her closer to her own.

When Scorpius' name was called the first reaction that came from the audience was a tremendous wolf whistle as he sauntered across the stage, a lazy smirk plastered on his face. He had looked out to the audience with a grin and winked, prompting more whistles and giggling from the younger girls in the crowd. The graduating females had learnt never to let Scorpius Malfoy bed you – it only led to heartbreak.

The most enthusiastic applause of the evening was awarded to Albus, Rose's cousin. Al blushed as he ascended the stairs, the hall nearly vibrating with the burst of ovation he received. He was, as he always had been, bashful of his position as the Gryffindor Seeker, despite being the reason why Gryffindor had not lost the House Cup since his second year. Hugo may have been the best Keeper in the school but Albus Potter was the best all-round Quidditch player ever to grace the halls of Hogwarts, even giving his father a run for his money.

Rose joined in with the wild clapping for Al, laughing when he ran his hand through his hair. It was his nervous tick, mussing up his already unruly black hair, and it seemed to drive the girls wild. There were many occasions when his mother had threatened to cut his hands off if he kept scruffing himself up, the most notable occasion being at the wedding of Teddy and Victorie Lupin where Ginny Potter had cut it brutally short. With one last wave, Albus hurried down the stairs and resumed his seat with a very round face, receiving a hard clap on the back in congratulations from a few of his surrounding friends.

At long last Rose's name was called and it was all she could do not to jump from her seat and race up the stairs. Instead, trembling as she did so, she strode up the stairs purposefully, chewing on her lip in anticipation and trying to quell her shaking hands. She could vaguely hear the babbling of Professor Hocklehurst as he named her many achievements, the most recent of which being all O's on her N.E.W.T exams, something which she was painfully proud of. Looking out upon the gathered audience she could see her mother beaming up at her with a distinctly tear-tracked face and her father grinning broadly at her. The Potters were smiling up at her from their position beside her parents and she could pick out various other friendly faces. She felt a wide, enthusiastic smile spread across her face once she shook hands with the Headmaster.

Once resuming her seat beside Dominique, her cousin and closest female friend, she listened intently as Hocklehurst gave one last closing speech. The graduating students would be returning home in the morning with all of the others, though there were guaranteed to be a few parties being held that evening in various locations. Fully aware of this fact, the students were all anxious to remove their itchy robes and change into muggle garb for a night of festivities. Even Rose, who usually abhorred gatherings of that sort, was excited. This would be the last time all of the students in her year would be gathered in the one area, and rumour had it that there was going to be the party to end all parties in the Room of Requirement an hour after the graduation assembly disbanded.

"And now, if you would, please put your hands together one last time for this year's graduating class."

Rose stood with Dominique as the Great Hall filled with deafening applause and the chairs vanished. The parents and students moved to greet each other and Rose felt herself be pulled into a bone crushing embrace from her mother. Gasping for air, Rose managed to extract her arms and hug her mother in return, finally choking out that she couldn't breathe, resulting in her mother's release.

"I'm so, _so_ proud of you, Rose!" Hermione said, wiping her dampened cheeks. Hermione had aged beautifully, Rose often thought. At age forty-five she was relatively line free, something which surprised Rose due to her mother's tendency to stress wildly over the tiniest problem. Her hair was still as thick as ever and had retained its rich brown colour. Hermione's eyes were still bright and deep, Rose often wishing she could have eyes as expressive as her mother's.

"Move over, 'Mione!" Ron Weasley grinned, gently pushing Hermione out of the way to hug Rose. "Good job, Petal." Rose winced at her father's nickname for her, noticing her mother make the same action when he shortened her first name. Ron had not aged as gracefully as his wife had, with a balding patch beginning to make itself known and his red hair slowly streaking itself with grey.

"Thanks, guys," Rose smiled at her parents, once again fiddling with the sleeve of her robes. "How is everyone back home? How's work?"

"Work is work, kiddo," Ron shrugged. "You'll find out just how fun it is in a few months' time, and then you'll be wishing you were back at Hogwarts. It's tough."

"Says you, Ronald," Hermione frowned. "You work at a joke shop."

Rose rolled her eyes at her parent's bickering as her father retorted lamely ("Hey! It's tough working there, what with kids trying to prank us every other minute!") and turned to look for Dominique. She caught her beautiful friend standing a few meters away with her own parents. Dominique noticed Rose's gaze and waved her over and Rose obliged, all to glad for a reason to escape her parents who were still squabbling over nothing.

"Rose, congratulations," Bill gave her a grin, the vicious scars which marred the side of his face becoming more prominent with his smile. Age had treated him far better than it had Ron, and he still looked fairly youthful and had retained his figure, unlike her father who was developing the makings of a potbelly.

"Thanks, Bill," Rose smiled, turning to embrace the ever-beautiful Fleur who was sweeping in for a hug, Dominique grinning behind her. The latter tapped her wrist with her wand, a reminder that they would need to leave soon if they were to have enough time to get prepared for the party that evening. Rose nodded once in recognition and released Fleur. "I better go and say goodbye to my parents again. I'll see you when school ends."

With a wave she turned on her heel and returned to her parents who were standing, much to Rose's surprise, with Scorpius and his father, Draco Malfoy. She stood at her mother's side tentatively, shocked to see that Hermione was openly laughing at something Draco had said, much to Ron's chagrin.

"Ah, this must be Rose," Draco's smirk mirrored his son's who stood a few feet away, looking dreadfully bored. The elder blonde held out his hand and Rose gripped it carefully, ignoring the warning look her father shot her. "It's a pleasure. I've heard much about you."

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm very glad to meet you," Rose said, letting a smile grace her features as she surveyed the father of her schoolyard tormentor. There was no doubt that Scorpius looked incredibly similar to his father, with the same platinum blonde hair and deep grey eyes which were flecked with blue on occasion. They shared the same high, aristocratic cheekbones and strong jaw, along with an identical straight nose. Their looks only differed marginally at their lips; Scorpius' were pinker and slightly plumper, a minor difference from Draco's slim lips. Of course, the differences were indistinguishable when they smirked, their mouths curving up identically and their eyes dancing, the blue shining through. Age seemed to have scarcely touched Draco Malfoy.

"Please, call me Draco," Scorpius' father drawled and Rose nodded. "Congratulations on your N.E.W.T scores, Rose. Hogwarts has never seen such scores since your mother graced these halls. You must be very proud of your achievement."

"Indeed," Rose agreed. "It took a lot of work but it certainly paid off for me. That being said, your son seemed to hardly work at all and yet he came out with the second highest scores in the year."

"That would be why they are the _second_ highest," Draco pointed out. "I'm sure that if Scor applied himself then he could have surpassed you, but your mother's genes greatly advantage you, in more ways than one."

Rose gaped as her mother gave a very strange little laugh and flushed with colour before immediately clamping a hand over her mouth. Ron's face filled with anger mingled with confusion and he glared at Draco who was smirking. Scorpius remained detached, instead catching the eye of a group of fourth year girls who giggled and hurried away.

"C'mon, 'Mione," Ron said through gritted teeth. "We better get going. We'll see you tomorrow, Rose."

Clearing her throat, Hermione's cheeks returned to their normal colour and she smoothed her skirt down. "Bye, Rosie. I'm so proud of you," Hermione said again, hugging Rose tightly before stepping away. "Scorpius, it was nice to meet you. I'll see you at work, Draco." Rose watched as Hermione blushed when Draco caught her eye once more and suppressed the urge to gag. Her parents were still married, for Godric's sake! Why on earth was her mother _flirting_ with her colleague?

Rose waved at her parents' back as they exited the Great Hall and turned back to Draco. "It was lovely to meet you, but I'm afraid I must take my leave," Draco said. "I trust we will meet again at a later date."

Rose nodded, shaking Draco's hand once more and watching as he trod the same path her parents had just moments before.

"Rose!" shrieked Dominique, making an appearance beside Rose's left elbow. "Hurry up! At this rate we'll hardly have any time to get ready. Our parents are gone so _come on_!" Dom shook her head impatiently, grasping Rose's arm and dragging her from the Great Hall. The two girls all but ran back to Gryffindor Tower, Dom leading the way as she tugged Rose by her hand. After breathlessly uttering the password to the Fat Lady they climbed the stairs to the seventh year girl's dormitory, grinning like fools.

"Dom, mind if I have a quick shower?" Rose asked, shrugging off her robe and throwing it on her bed. She bustled over to the shared wardrobe and pulled out her clothes for the night's festivities and found a towel.

"I showered beforehand, but be quick. I need to do your makeup," Dom said, stripping off her own robe and the uniform which lay beneath. Rose averted her eyes, still not used to her friend's lack of regard towards nudity.

Ten minutes later Rose emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam, clad in her outfit for the evening. Dom let out a low whistle and Rose shot her friend a glare, though she did feel quite sexy in her attire. Her black jeans were skin tight and she reminded herself not to try and move too quickly for fear of them tearing. Her upper body was clad in a simple white bustier top, exposing the creamy skin of her shoulder and pushing up her cleavage, something she never did.

Rose's eyes looked up and down Dominique and she frowned. _Everyone_ would look plain beside her. Dom's dress glittered and came to mid-thigh, showing daring amounts of leg and a respectable amount of her ample bosom. The dress appeared so tight that it was a wonder Dom could even move, something which seemed like even more of an impossibility when teamed with her peep-toe heels. The shoes were delicate and covered in lace with an elegant bow just before the toe, and Rose was well aware that Dom had been lusting after them for many a moon.

"Damn you," Rose narrowed her eyes and Dominique laughed. "Seriously, how is it fair that you look perfect no matter what you wear? Everyone's eyes are going to be on you. I don't know why anyone else even bothers." The redhead sighed, sitting on her bed with a soft _thump_ and crossing her arms.

"Oh, give it up, Rose," Dominique shook her head, her silvery hair shimmering with the movement. "Plenty of people think you're damn good looking, but you can't seem to see that. I only look like _this_ because I'm part Veela. Not that I'm complaining, of course. It helps reel in the men, which is always useful."

"By men you mean Dante Zabini, of course," Rose grinned now, moving to stand behind Dominique who was curling her hair with her want. "When will you just let him have you? He's been pining since fifth year, and _you've_ been pining since fourth."

"Who knows, I might give it up tonight," Dom smirked, adding the finishing touches to her hair. "I like to make them want it, you know. _Really_ want it. And Merlin knows Dante wants it by now. He's been getting cockier recently, trying...things."

"God, I do not want to know what you and Zabini do in your spare time," Rose shuddered, ushering Dominique from the chair in front of the mirror and taking her place. "Work your magic, Dom."

A smile spread across Dominique's pretty face as she began working on Rose, twirling her wand with complex movements to charm her hair. No matter how good her grades were Rose could never master cosmetic spells. She supposed she just lacked the interest in making herself appear outlandishly pretty when she could achieve the natural look she liked by simply rolling out of bed. Instead, on the rare occasions that there was a need to dress up, she would turn to Dominique who could make _anyone_ look amazing.

Rose could feel the makeup being applied on her face though there was no pressure from Dominique's hands or brushes. She detested makeup, but Dom had absolutely insisted that she wore some for the graduation party. Rose hated feeling her face clogged and she loathed being unable to rub her eyes for fear that the eyeliner would rub, but she knew that if she did not acquiesce to Dom's demand then she would be forced anyway.

"Perfect!" Dom cried at long last, and Rose opened her eyes to reveal her reflection staring back at her with wide eyes.

Dominique had certainly outdone herself this time. Rose's hair was formed into big, loopy curls that hung about her face quite attractively. Her eye makeup had been done simply with just a small amount of black eyeliner and neutral eye shadow, the former making her eyes pop quite spectacularly. Her lashes were coated in black, making them appear long and soft, and her lips were painted red in a daring move which Rose would never try if left to her own devices.

"Bloody hell, Dom," Rose mumbled, brushing her hand through her hair carefully. "Why do I let you talk me into this sort of stuff?"

"Oh, that's not even the best bit," Dominique's smile was perfectly sinister at this point as she rummaged in her trunk, finally withdrawing a shoebox. Rose's stomach plummeted. Knowing Dominique, the shoes would be ridiculously high and intensely uncomfortable. She was not wrong in that assumption, she found, when Dom pulled out a pair of high, terrifyingly so, heels in dark blue.

"You have _got_ to be joking," Rose stared at her friend as though she had grown a second head.

"Nope," Dom grinned widely, thrusting the shoes into Rose's hands enthusiastically. "Hurry up and put them on! We're going to be late."

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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
_****_Room of Requirement  
_****_June 20th, 2024_**

Scorpius reclined in one of the plush armchairs that the Room of Requirement had spawned, surveying the magical room's contents. There was a fully stocked bar which stretched across one entire wall, designed to create the drink you so desired if you requested it. The bar was lined with stools for those who preferred getting entirely hammered, though there were a variety of booths and lounges scattered about throughout the rest of the area. The lighting was bright, but not harshly so. Scorpius had made sure that as the night dragged on and the alcohol flowed that the lights would dim, creating ambience and interest. After a certain number of guests had entered the room music would start playing and there was a section designed to act as a dance floor which he was sure all the students would frequent at some point.

To his left, in an identical black armchair, sat Dante Zabini, his best friend and co-organizer of this particular event. Dante was staring at the door with eager eyes, his knuckles turning white on the tumbler of firewhiskey he was clutching tightly. Scorpius smirked at his friend though Dante paid no attention, his eyes not wavering from the entrance to the room.

"Stare a little harder and you might burn the door down," Scorpius snorted and Dante tore his eyes away.

"I don't know what you mean," he shrugged but Scorpius was not buying his friend's defence. He was well aware that Dante was lusting after Dominique Weasley, and had been doing so since their fifth year. Dominique was by far the most sought after female what with her wide eyes and pink pout, not to mention the beauty which seemed to simply radiate from her. Dante was just one of the many who had become smitten by her grace and charm, though he was the most likely to receive her affections in return.

"Bloody hell, Dante, I _know_ you're chasing Weasley's tail," Scorpius rolled his eyes, cutting straight to the chase and ignoring the angry spark that flared in Dante's dark brown eyes.

"I'm not chasing anyone's tail, Scor," Dante snapped, turning away from an amused Scorpius as he ruffled his dark hair. "Besides, she's a _Weasley_. I'm entirely certain my father would disown me if I ever considered dating a Weasley."

"She may be a Weasley but she's a bloody hot one," the blonde pointed out, taking a sip of his ale. "She doesn't even look like a Weasley."

Dante nodded his head in agreement. His eyes snapped back to the door as it creaked open and the first guests trickled in. Scorpius couldn't help but chuckle as Dante's face fell slightly at the entering Ravenclaws. He knew his mate was desperate for a chance to finally trap Dominique, and his persistence was admirable. Dominique remained one of the very few female in their year which either of them had not yet bed, and Scorpius was stepping aside to let Dante have her for himself.

Scorpius inclined his head towards one of the newcomers, Ingrid Nott. The pretty Slytherin grinned at Scorpius and sauntered over, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she bent down to whisper in his ear.

"The Gryffindors are coming," Ingrid's voice was low and soft. "You better get a leash on Dante before he attacks Weasley."

Laughing, Scorpius turned back to the doors which had just opened again, revealing three more newcomers. Dominique Weasley stood in the middle, flanked by Albus Potter and Rose Weasley. The first had drawn the attention of plenty of the males, all of them close to salivating at the long creamy legs her dress exposed. The females in the room appeared close to jumping Albus' bones, though he seemed unmoved by the reaction he had caused with his casual appearance. Rose looked uncomfortable, but Scorpius had to admit she looked stunning, almost as pretty as her Veela friend.

Scorpius could barely suppress his grin as Dante was by Dominique's side within two seconds flat, leading her to the bar and away from Albus and Rose. Ingrid swooped in moments later, walking directly over to Albus with a tantalizing smile on her face. What was wrong with his fellow Slytherins? Were they _all_ falling for bloody Gryffindors? Knowing Ingrid, however, she was simply after a good shag, and who better than Albus Potter? Plenty of girls were after him, but Scorpius was sure his friend would be the one to get him.

His attention turned once again to Rose who was left standing by the door all by herself, looking around nervously. Scorpius, along with the majority of the student body, was well aware that Rose's only real friends were Albus and Dominique, and it appeared as though they had both left her for a good time. Shaking his head, Scorpius turned away, looking at the partygoers with bored eyes.

There were a few people milling into the dance area, none of them quite sure what to do. The music was still quite quiet and too many were embarrassed to start the dancing off. Most of the guests who had already arrived had flocked to the bar, and from his vantage point Scorpius could spy Dante getting quite cosy with Dominique and a few seats down from them Ingrid and Albus were toasting to something. When Scorpius' eyes returned to the door Rose had vanished and there was a steady stream of Hufflepuffs filing in. Lifting his ale, Scorpius took a long drink, hoping that tonight would be at least a little bit interesting.

* * *

Rose glared at the retreating backs of her friends, her annoyance at them for going off with someone else slowly trickling through her. She could see various people she was acquaintances with but did not feel up to making small talk, instead opting to order a drink and relax in one of the armchairs. She sipped slowly at her ginger ale, watching the other guests gallivant about the room which seemed to expand slightly each time a new guest walked in. It was hardly half eight and yet she could already see a few students stumbling about from drunkenness. She was pleased with her choice of non-alcoholic drink, hoping to keep her inhibitions for the evening.

She watched Dominique sitting at the bar, sipping a brightly coloured drink with Dante Zabini by her side, giving her a charming smile. Rose could tell simply by their body language that they were entirely unaware of anything going on in the room, something which was demonstrated when Dante reached out to push a lock of Dominique's hair from her face, only to trail his fingertips up and down her arm. Rose made a face and turned away, only to be faced with the sight of Albus and Ingrid Nott. Granted, they were not as intimate as Dom and Dante, but Rose knew that by the end of the night they would be distinctly more ruffled. Ingrid was twirling her finger about the rim of her glass and Albus kept ruffling his hair nervously.

Rose turned away from the bar with a shake of her head, but she immediately wished she had not done so when she was greeted by a familiar face. Marcus Finnegan, her housemate and only ex-boyfriend stood before her, grinning in what she supposed he believed to be a charming manner. He seemed to sway with the air of someone intoxicated and his goofy smile certainly attested to the fact. He stumbled on nothing and righted himself on her chair, his breath blowing onto her face. She could detect the distinct smell of firewhiskey mingled with ale.

"Hello, Marcus," she sighed, pushing him away gently. He staggered backwards and fell into the chair opposite her, stilling smiling like a lunatic. She was quite put-off by his mere presence, let alone his drunken state. "Can I help you with something?"

"Jus' wonderin' why a pretty lass like yourself is sittin' 'ere all by 'er lonesome," he winked roguishly in her direction and she felt the overwhelming desire to gag. Even though there was a sizeable distance between them, his breath seemed to fan over her face, bringing with it the overpowering stench of alcohol. "Lemme buy ya a drink."

"No thank you," Rose said stiffly. "I'm perfectly okay with what I have at the moment. Perhaps you would do well not to indulge in another drink."

Marcus said nothing for a minute, his mind processing her words slowly in his drunken state. Rose fought the urge to laugh at the baffled expression on his face, instead choosing to avert her eyes and sip at her ginger ale. "Nay, little lady!" he finally said after a moment. "I insist! Or at least let me take ya dancin'!"

This time, Rose truly did gag. She most certainly did not dance, and there was even less certainty that she would _ever_ dance with the oafish Marcus Finnegan. He may have played Quidditch, but Beaters were not exactly known for their dexterity, and Marcus was as clumsy as they came, even for a Beater. On the two occasions during their brief relationship when they _had_ danced, Rose had come out of both events feeling as though her feet would never be repaired again. She certainly had no intention of repeating those events. Even though this _was_ a different type of dance, she was sure he would be just as vulgar, though in an entirely different way. She opened her mouth to respond, entirely unsure of how she could reply without sounding like a total cow, when she was ultimately saved by Marcus being summoned by Joseph Thomas, his best friend.

She released a sigh of relief and slumped back into her chair, kicking off her painful high heels as she did so. She flexed her toes and looked about the room, disappointed. Of course, she had not been so naive as to think that there would be no alcohol, let alone people getting horribly intoxicated left right and centre, but she had at least thought that there would be some guests who would want to have a polite discussion. Or at least remember their last night at Hogwarts. Apparently she was incorrect in her guesses, however, because she could not spy a single person who was sober enough to hold a steady conversation and who wasn't being snogged senseless.

Her eyes now fell upon Dominique and Dante. During her brief encounter with Marcus, the two of them had moved from the bar to a secluded corner of the room where they were currently wrapped around each other quite intimately. From her position, Rose could scarcely even make out whose hands were whose. She sniffed indignantly and looked away, leaving the intertwined couple to their privacy (though going at it like rabbits in a room full of people could hardly be private in any way) as she stared at the dancers. Once again she saw a familiar couple, this time Albus and Ingrid.

They were moving slowly, sensually, to the beat of the music, their bodies pressed flush together. Albus' hands were firmly planted on her hips, guiding Ingrid as they moved together. The couple were on the outer layers of the throng of dancers, still in control of their movements and away from the other sweaty bodies that pulsated with the music. Rose felt awkward observing her best friend's antics and she could tell that her cheeks were coloured with embarrassment. She lowered her eyes and swept her gaze across the room, hoping to find something a bit more innocent to focus on. Her efforts were in vain, however, because everywhere she looked her eyes were assaulted by the sights of her classmates going at it like rabbits.

She felt something resembling the bitter taste that was jealousy creeping up her throat as she saw student after student in some compromising position. Why were all of these other girls so more sought after than she? Was she not attractive to _anyone_ other than her drunken ex-lover? Her only experience lay with her one month relationship (though she often referred to it as a fling. One month could scarcely constitute as a _relationship_), and Marcus was not exactly difficult to please. As long as he could count the woman he took to his bed as another notch in his belt, he was happy. It appeared that she had been exactly that to him – another conquest. He had no doubt gloated to his friends at the fact that he had taken her innocence in a night of awkward fumbling and rough caresses.

She still felt anger and hurt trickle through her system when she recalled the night that she had lost her virginity to Marcus Finnegan. He had put her off sex entirely, having been far too harsh in his movements. All Rose could even remember was fierce pain followed by total discomfort as Marcus' heavy weight pressed against her. He had hardly made the experience something she wanted to repeat, and since that affair one year ago she had felt utterly no desire to repeat the occurrence. She had thrown herself into her schoolwork, even more so than before if that was possible, thoroughly avoiding all contact with the male species. She and Marcus broke up the next day.

But now, looking at all the pairings that were about the room, she felt the overwhelming desire to be a part of that. She _craved_ intimacy. Hell, she craved release. She was not fussed whether it was a close bond or a night of wild passion, but she just wanted _it_. For her to feel something like this was entirely outside the norm, but she had been the quiet, sometimes prudish girl for far too long. She was like any other hormonal teenager, and she could not always push her desires down deep inside her.

Rose's blue eyes narrowed as she spied Marcus attacking the mouth of Amelia Longbottom quite ferociously. She wasn't jealous of Amelia. No, she was jealous that she was getting some. With a snort at her crude thoughts, Rose turned her eyes to her lap and to the depths of her empty glass. She stared at the fractured form of her fingers beneath the bottom of the glass, convincing herself quite thoroughly that she didn't care that she was spending her last night at Hogwarts alone.

"Feeling a little bit left out, are we?" the drawl of Scorpius Malfoy interrupted her thoughts as though he had read her mind, and she fixed him with a glare. He was clad in dark jeans and a crisp black dress shirt, the colour of his clothing contrasting quite wonderfully with his perpetual state of paleness. Of course, his possibly handsome features were contorted into a mask of terrible ugliness by the smirk he wore, his grey eyes taunting her, baiting her.

"Not at all, Malfoy," she replied smoothly, meeting his gaze. "Apparently you are, however, if you've resorted to conversing with me this evening. Your own party isn't as fun as you envisioned it?"

Scorpius seemed to let out an angry hiss between his clenched teeth. "It's perfectly enjoyable, thank you very much," his tone was clipped. She was amused that he could be so affected by such an insignificant slight. "I simply thought that I should see to it that all my guests are entertained. _You_ have been glaring about at the other guests for the last fifteen minutes. The steam is practically shooting out of your ears. May I inquire as to why you've chosen to spend the night seething uncontrollably, thus putting a dampener on my little shindig?"

"No," Rose replied quickly. "No you may not. I simply wish there was someone who wasn't completely drunk worth talking to."

"Well _I'm_ entirely sober, apart from the same bottle of beer I've been nursing for half the night," Scorpius pointed out shrewdly. He looked as though he would be more than happy to spend the remainder of the evening taunting her mercilessly, and she resisted a shudder. She would most certainly _not_ be spending her time talking to Scorpius, though he was one of the few people in their year whose intelligence was on par with her own.

"Yes, but unfortunately for you, I'm not in the mood to be taunted all night by someone who has less than half a brain cell in his head," Rose snapped irritably, slipping her feet back into her heels in case she desired a quick getaway. She was certain that Dominique would kill her if she lost the shoes, so abandoning them was out of the question.

"Ouch, Rose," Scorpius' hand fluttered over his heart melodramatically. "My heart is simply shattering underneath your horrid accusations. I could always leave, if you wish, and Finnegan could finish what he started. Would you prefer his drunken antics to my sober conversation?"

Rose couldn't help the snort that escaped her. "Conversation? We never converse. We insult each other or hex each other. The last time we tried to have a conversation we ended up setting the Heads common room on fire." She frowned at the memory of her desperately trying to extinguish the small collection of flames whilst Scorpius stood back laughing.

"We used to have such _fun_, Rosie!" her companion's lips had turned upwards into his usual smirk whilst she scowled. "Ah, those were the days. Now you're just so cruel to me all the time." He stuck his lower lip out in an over exaggerated pout, but his eyes still sparkled with humour.

"Because it was _so_ much fun when I was trying to save my Pygmy Puff from the couch which _you_ set on fire!" Rose crossed her arms in annoyance, turning her head away from the smug boy who sat across from her. He chuckled at her antics and she saw him prop his feet up on the arm of her chair, the definition of relaxed.

"If the bloody pink thing would stop trilling like some horrendous alarm then maybe I wouldn't have lost my cool," he pointed out. "I asked you, quite politely if my memory serves me correctly, to move the little ball of annoying to your room, but you completely ignored me. From this, I feel that we can deduce _you_ were the one at fault, which makes a change from the perfect little angel routine you normally pull."

"I was busy!" Rose exclaimed, whipping her head around to face him with fire in her eyes. "Just because I was occupying myself with something useful rather than your stupid little game of marbles doesn't mean I couldn't hear you. You were simply being juvenile!"

"_I_ was being juvenile? You were blatantly ignoring me! Isn't that a little bit more childish?"

"Of course I was ignoring you!" Rose cried, impatiently tucking her hair behind her ear. "You had been acting like a fool for hours, calling my name over and over again! And besides, I couldn't actually hear you. I was too immersed in my work."

Scorpius' mouth formed a cruel smile and Rose immediately realized her folly. It was impossible even for _her_ to be that interested in the particularly long and tiresome essay on Centaur rights that she had been working on that night. "Could it be that the perfect Rose Weasley placed a Silencing Charm on me, therefore breaking the school rules? What if it had been an emergency? What would you have done then?"

Rose cursed Professor Hockenhaw from her deepest depths at that point for instating that blasted rule. Silencing Charms were not allowed to be used upon other students anymore after a first year, who had been hassling a group of Slytherin sixth years, had nearly been attacked by the Whomping Willow. The older students had placed the charm on the younger boy, but had not been able to hear his pleas for help when the vicious tree snaked a branch around the child's ankle. It was only by chance that Professor Longbottom was walking by at the time and had managed to rescue the younger student.

"Well it wasn't an emergency now was it?" Rose said. "You were just being stupid, Scorpius. And if you even _think_ that you're going to get me in trouble now for that, think again. No one is going to care that I placed that charm upon you. Anyway, what would you do about it? Put me in detention on the train ride home?"

Scorpius chuckled. "Not at all, but you could still be expelled."

"You little asshole," she ground out, her teeth clenched. She was close to pulling her wand and hexing him, though she was fully aware he was simply attempting to rile her up. "Why don't you go and whore yourself out to one of the few women in this grade who haven't realized that you're a walking disease?"

"I would, darling, but you see, you're the last one left," he grinned and she shook her head, unable to believe that _every_ straight female in their year had slept with Scorpius Malfoy. "Believe it, Weasley. You're the last one. The _only_ one who hasn't succumbed to my charm."

"Or to the effects of spiked firewhiskey," Rose growled. This time Scorpius' laugh was loud, booming. A few people who were sitting close by looked around, alarmed at the volume of his expression.

"Oh, you are fun," he finally said after his laughter had died down, though he was still grinning. "See, I think that once I broke down that little virgin exterior of yours, you would be a sexual goddess. You're certainly fiery enough. Perhaps we could try and channel all of our little spats into something a bit more...pleasurable."

Rose had endured enough. She stood up swiftly, and turned to leave, pausing only momentarily to glare over her shoulder. "Perhaps my little virgin exterior has already been broken down," she said, marching out of the Room of Requirement, anger boiling in her veins. She could scarcely believe the nerve of Scoripus to say something like that to her. Were all men really that crude?

* * *

Scorpius watched as Rose exited swiftly, a little sad to see her go. He had been having an awful amount of fun taunting her. Her reactions, prior to the hexing which usually followed, were definitely worth the insults and furious looks. He had, on the few occasions when her attention had been directed elsewhere during their encounter, allowed his eyes to drop from her face, namely to the creamy skin that was pushed up by her tight shirt.

He had seen her in clothes other than the entirely unflattering school uniform, of course, but this..._this_ was something entirely different. She was all dressed up and wearing tighter apparel than he could ever have dreamed she would own. Her legs, already long from her height, seemed never ending in the jeans she had been wearing and her hips seemed to hold a sassy little sway thanks to the shoes. He had thought it before and he wasn't afraid to admit that Rose Weasley was hot, and he was certain that he would one day get the chance to bed her.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Weasley Residence, Surrey**_

_**June 23**__**rd**__**, 2024**_

_**Evening**_

Rose frowned as she stared at the expanse of her wardrobe, entirely unsure of what she should squeeze into the suitcase that lay open on her bed. Her mother had chosen to surprise her with a vacation for her fantastic grades, and as a result they would be leaving early the next morning for a flight to the south of France, where most of their time would no doubt be spent lounging on beaches.

The rest of the trip would be spent in a fairly similar fashion, Rose was sure. After two weeks in France, including four nights in Paris, Rose and her mother would be journeying to Greece, specifically Santorini for some more sun. Much to Rose's delight, her father and brother would be forced to remain in England. Rose's parents had found out about Hugo's antics, to her great smug satisfaction, and Hugo was required to be in the presence of a parent our trusted adult for the entirety of his summer holidays, according to Hermione.

Rose finally decided to pull out numerous pairs of shorts and tank tops. She was well aware that the weather would be decidedly warm in all of her vacation destinations, and it wasn't as though she would see anyone she knew. Deciding to play up the eyes, by the time she had finished packing her case was full of clothes she would never get the chance to wear in England or clothes that she would never let any of her acquaintances see her in.

"Rosie! Dinner's ready," Hermione called from the kitchen as Rose's stomach grumbled. After zipping her suitcase shut with a little bit of trouble, Rose tied her hair back up into a ponytail and hurried to the kitchen where her father and brother were already seated at the table. "Are you all packed?"

"I just finished," Rose said as she helped her mother carry the food to the table. Upon placing the plate of barbeque chicken on the table, Hugo and Ron practically began to inhale their food, to which both Hermione and Rose rolled their eyes. Rose took her seat and looked away in distaste as she served herself a little portion of salad and some chicken.

"Boys, manners!" Hermione chided as she helped herself to the food. Hugo looked up at his mother with a chicken leg in his mouth and gave a guilty smile. Hermione frowned whilst Ron laughed. "Really, Ronald, don't encourage him. Do you _want_ him to grow up eating like a pig?"

"Hey, Dad eats like a pig and he got you, right?" Hugo said through a mouthful of food, shrugging.

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment," Hermione sniffed, cutting a small piece of chicken and eating it, chewing thoroughly before swallowing. "Ron, make sure our son doesn't choke to death on his food when I'm away. And don't forget, he isn't allowed _anywhere_ without you or one of his aunts or uncles."

"I've actually been thinking about that, 'Mione," Ron started. Rose's hand froze on her glass of cranberry juice. She could tell that her father was about to argue Hugo's punishment and she was well aware that the act would not go down well with her mother. "I don't see why he needs someone to be around him all the time. He needs to be able to practice Quidditch, and I'm not going to have time to fly after him."

Hermione's eyes narrowed and Rose took in a deep breath. "How in Godric's name do you expect him to learn his lesson?" Hermione's voice was shrill and Hugo and Ron flinched slightly. "Just because _you_ think your stupid little hobbies are more important than disciplining your son does not mean I will let him get away with anything! You _will_ _not_ let him out of your sight for the entirety of the summer or I will set your sister on you."

Ron blanched and Rose hid a smile. Hugo sat there glowering at his mother, furious that she was not going to relent on the punishment. Rose knew that he had planned a whole series of escapades with their cousins Louis and Lily with the hopes that Ron would let him run free, but any chance of that seemed to be slipping away. Ron remained tight-lipped, nodding stiffly at his wife and returning to his dinner. The rest of the meal was held in an uncomfortable silence and Rose was all too happy to slip back to her room once she had cleared the plates up.

After double checking the contents of her suitcase Rose desired to retire for the night, her excitement for her approaching trip keeping her awake until the early hours of the morning.

_**

* * *

Navagio Beach, Zante**_

_**July 17**__**th**__**, 2024**_

Rose tucked her wand hastily into her bag as she quickly followed her mother out from the shadow of the white cliffs. She had thought that after one or two days of sunbaking that she would be weary of the activity, but the sheer joy of doing _nothing_ was something she had come to love.

Having spent her entire life working hard, being about to relax fully was a treat. She had always tried her hardest, even when she had been sent to school as a young child with her brother. Though she had whined and complained about her extended family members not having to go to school, she privately agreed with her mother that attending a school outside of the family home was a wonderful experience. She had spent much of her childhood around muggle children, and though she had not made many friends from her early schooling, she wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Her rigid learning schedule which had been placed upon her from the age of five was the key to her success at Hogwarts. Her brother, on the other hand, had complained enough to their father that he had yanked him out of muggle primary school and sent him to lax education at the Burrow, under the rule of Molly Weasley.

Of course, Rose's holiday had not all been resting. Rose and her mother had partaken in a fair amount of shopping, scuba diving, rock climbing, and had seen the sights of each place they had visited. During the times when they hadn't been rushing about, Rose had often been perusing a magical medical text of some sort, charmed to look like a muggle novel. She wanted to be as prepared as possible if she was accepted at St. Mungo's, and a little bit of light reading couldn't hurt.

"Rosie, come on," her mother called, having already set up her towel by the water. It was one of the few days that cruise ships were not running to the beach so the area would be lovely and quiet, visited only by wizards and witches who chose to apparate there. At the present time, Rose and Hermione were the only two on the entire beach, and they had planted themselves straight in the middle of the white stretch of sand. Hermione was already lying on her back, eyes closed against the blazing sun, her skin already quite brown from their other activities.

When Rose had first heard her mother was going to be wearing a rather revealing swimsuit for the duration of their vacation she had been horrified. No seventeen year old wanted to see their forty-something mother in a set of bathers, but Rose had been pleasantly surprised. Hermione had seemed immune to the powers of age and gravity, so much so that she even managed to look good in a bikini at her age. The sight of Hermione in a black and white two-piece swimsuit had apparently been so pleasing to some, in fact, that she had been approached by several gentlemen during their days at the beach. Hermione had blushed and refused all of the suitors politely, but Rose had caught no sight of her mother's wedding band.

Rose had also been approached by men, both older and of her own age, but she was not interested in a romance. She had opted for a purple bikini, one that had a piece of ribbon wrapped around her neck, elongating the curve of her throat. There wasn't much coverage provided by the swimsuit, either, and she supposed this was why she had been approached by several men. She had followed her mother's lead in dismissing them. They could hardly even speak the same language!

Lying down with a content sigh, Rose lazily summoned her medical text from her bag and went to open it, only to be stopped by her mother.

"No," Hermione mumbled. "Just _relax_. I never thought I'd be the one telling someone not to read, and yet here we are. Just lie back, close your eyes, and turn off your brain."

Rose took a deep breath and shoved the book back into her bag, instead reclining fully and doing as her mother said. She let her eyes slide shut, and all at once the brilliant warmth of the sun and the soft lapping of waves against sand lulled her brain into a state of silence. All she was focusing on was how comfortable she was, and how soothing the sounds of the beach were...

_Crack_.

She sat up sharply, looking around wildly for the sound that had woken her from her slumber. The sun had moved in the sky and she deduced she had been dozing for at least an hour. Thank Godric for Sun Smart Potions, guaranteed to stop sunburn. She heard laughter and whipped her head around, only to be faced with a sight that she had been so sure her summer would be spent free of.

"_Malfoy_? You've got to be kidding me," she groaned, staring at the form of Scorpius who was standing to her right, laughing at her reaction to his arrival. She glared up at him, squinting slightly at the sunlight and he smirked back.

"'Fraid so, Weasley. Don't worry, I'm not too glad to see you here either. I was hoping for a Gryffindor free holiday, but apparently our parents had other plans," he hooked his thumb in the direction to her left and she turned to see her mother a few metres away with Scorpius' father. "I haven't a clue what Dad sees in your mother."

"My mother is happily married, Scorpius," Rose huffed, getting to her feet. She noticed her companion's eyes run over her body, lingering too long on areas she was not quite comfortable with; her breasts, the curve of her neck, her flat stomach. "My face is up here."

"I know that," he sneered. "Not bad though, Weasley. You wouldn't be half bad if you weren't such an insufferable know-it-all the majority of the time. Then again, I doubt you know anything but that attitude."

"You might be tolerable if you weren't such a supercilious, pompous asshole. Just because you're a Malfoy doesn't mean the world will bow and kiss your feet, so you can stop hoping," she retorted, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "What are you even doing here?"

"I told you before," he said slowly as though she were an idiot. "Our parents wanted to meet up. Though I don't know why my father wants to enjoy your mother's company. From what he told me she's exactly like you are."

"Apparently your father likes that in a woman," Rose sniffed delicately. "Besides, it isn't as though my mum would be interested in someone like your father. He may be charming, but she's happily married. Just because your father can't find anyone doesn't mean he has to break apart other people's families."

"A dig at my family. Nice, Weasley, real original," Scorpius snorted. "Our parents are going to be a while seeing as they're getting on like a niffler on fire, so how about we sit here in silence and try and enjoy our holiday, hopefully forgetting that this unfortunate meeting ever occurred?"

"Fine by me," Rose glared at her former classmate, settling herself back onto the towel she had been lying on and trying to close off her mind once more until she succumbed to sleep once more.

_**

* * *

Weasley Residence, Surrey**_

_**August 2**__**nd**__**, 2024**_

_**Morning**_

"Mum, are you sleeping with Draco Malfoy?"

The question was out before Rose had time to stop herself. The idea that her mother might be having an affair had been niggling at the back of her mind ever since Scorpius had dropped hints to her about the possibility when they had been in Greece. She certainly hoped her mother was being faithful to her father, but reflecting upon her mother's actions around the handsome Draco Malfoy made her think otherwise.

"What?" Hermione spluttered, placing her teacup back onto its saucer. "What on earth would give you that idea?"

"The way you act around him," Rose frowned, discarding her toast in favour for a glass of orange juice. "You're always so..._girly_ around him, giggling and blushing. It's kind of creepy."

"Rose, I'm not having an affair. Draco and I are friends, that's all," Hermione regained her composure quickly, returning to her tea and sipping daintily. "We had a brief fling before your father and I got married, just after the war had ended and just before Harry and Ginny married. Your father wanted to see other people, and I was much too busy starting a career to have time for a relationship, and Draco and I ended up working in the same office. It was nothing more than a purely, um, physical relationship, and it ended quickly."

"You slept with _Draco Malfoy_?" Rose asked incredulously and Hermione nodded once. "I did not need to hear that."

"You're the one who asked, darling," Hermione observed. "It was only a fling, as I said, and I married your father three months after Draco and I broke it off, and he was married a month after your father and I. We ended up progressing through the workplace together, and it was nice for me to have a friend who I can actually have meaningful conversations with, and who I'm not somehow related to."

Rose nodded in agreement at the last part of her mother's speech. All her life, her closest friends had been her cousins, but sometimes constantly being around her family grated on her nerves. She was broken out of her thought pattern when she noticed a speck in the distance, growing closer with each second and a smile grew on her face. She flicked her wand at the window and it flew open just in time for two owls to descend onto the breakfast table, depositing their letters before turning and swooping out.

"Hugo's Hogwarts letter is finally here," Hermione remarked, picking up the top envelope. "I'll give it to him when he wakes up, if that happens sometime this century. I suppose I should let him find out his O.W.L results before I do."

"And consequently crucify him," Rose added, reaching for the other letter. Her jaw dropped when she recognized the seal. It was from St. Mungo's. "Holy shit."

"Rose!" Hermione chided her daughter. "What is so exciting that you have to swear?"

"My letter from St. Mungo's. Should I open it? What if I didn't get in? What if I _did_ get in? Oh God, I don't know what to do. It feels heavy. What does that mean? Does that mean I got in? Or maybe they write really long apologies. What do I do? Oh my God, _what do I do_?"

"Rose, just open it," Hermione said, smiling at her daughter's reaction. "You'll get in, I'm certain."

With trembling hands, Rose slit open the envelope and poured out the contents, eyes scanning over the contents:

_Dear Miss Rose Weasley,_

_We are pleased to inform you that your application for our annual internship has been accepted! After viewing your academic results and background, we have found that you are greatly suited to work at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries as your skills would be a great asset to our team. Should you choose to accept this position, you will find enclosed a series of insurance clauses which you are required to sign and return as soon as possible to secure your place._

_Congratulations once more, and we hope to see you on September 1__st__ for your first day of training._

_Sincerely, _

_Healer Zandra Reichs_

"I got in," Rose said quietly. "I got in!"

"Congratulations, Rosie!" Hermione grinned, patting her daughter's hand and reaching over for the letter which Rose gave up reluctantly. She was still in a state of utter disbelief that she, Rose Weasley, was going to be doing an internship and St. Mungo's in less than a month.

"What's all the noise?" came the grumbled voice of Hugo from the doorway. He rubbed sleep from his eyes and glared blearily at his mother and sister, annoyed at being woken so early.

"Your sister got her internship," Hermione announced proudly and Hugo rolled his eyes, grabbing Rose's discarded piece of toast and taking a huge bite of it. "Aren't you going to say congratulations?"

"Congrats, sister, I suppose. Though it isn't like it's a surprise. We all knew you'd get it anyway," Hugo plopped into the chair beside Rose, grabbing her orange juice as well. "At least you'll have fun with one of the other interns."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose asked, snatching her drink back. "Who are the others?"

"One of 'em is a chick from France. Beauxbatons, I think," Hugo informed her, rubbing at the back of his scalp and providing Rose with an all too disgusting view of his armpit. "And according to Lily who heads his fan club or something, Scorpius Malfoy applied as well."

"_What_?" Rose dropped her glass with a clatter, oblivious to the orange juice that was slowly soaking through her robe. "That dunderhead?"

"Rose, he's hardly a dunderhead," Hermione frowned, waving her wand to clear up the mess. "He got second in your year, and according to Draco he's wanted to be a Healer for as long as you have."

"But it's _Malfoy_! How on earth am I meant to put up with working with him every single day? We hate each other," Rose whined, crossing her arms grumpily. "Besides, he doesn't even need a job. He could stay at home and live off his Daddy's salary for the rest of his life and never lift a finger."

"That's a horrid thing to say," Hermione scolded her daughter. "It's a wonderful opportunity for the both of you, and I suppose you'll simply have to learn to get along with each other. It can't do any harm."

"I can't believe you're taking his side," Rose grumbled.

"I'm not taking anybody's side, Rose, but you should at least try and be civil," Hermione instructed. "It worked wonders for Draco and I."

_**

* * *

The Warlock Lounge**_

_**Diagon Alley**_

_**September 5**__**th**__**, 2024**_

"Scorpius sodding Malfoy will be the death of me," Rose declared, taking a small sip of her apple martini.

She, along with Dominique, Albus, Dante Zabini and Ingrid Nott were all seated in a booth at Diagon Alley's new 'trendy' bar, The Warlock Lounge, and Rose felt more out of place than she had in a long time. The couples had sidled into the already existing seats of the booth, taking up both sides, and Rose had had to pull up a chair if she wished to participate in conversation. While her companions seemed more into their partners, Rose was far more interested in venting about the tiresome week she'd endured.

"What did he do this time?" Dominique asked and Rose chose to ignore her monotonous tone; everyone there was sick of Rose's complaints, but no one had the guts to tell her.

"He's just always there!" Rose whined, this time taking a large gulp from her drink. "Can't he just bugger off and get a new job?"

"Rose," Dante interrupted her rant and she turned to glare at him. She wasn't fond of the Slytherin's crashing her weekly meeting with her two best friends, and what gave him the right to interrupt her? "Scorpius has wanted to be a Healer since he was three. I doubt he'd give up his dream of saving lives just because he disliked his co-workers, not that he does."

"What do you mean he doesn't dislike his co-workers?" Rose asked sharply. Sure, the blonde Slytherin tolerated Isabelle, the French intern, but from their past, Rose could plainly see that Scorpius loathed her. "He absolutely abhors me."

"Merlin, I thought you were meant to be smart," Rose saw Dante shake his head and she narrowed her eyes. "Wasn't that what all those awards were for at our graduation? Or was that just for fun and games?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Zabini?" Rose snapped.

"Play nice, Rosie," Albus kicked her under the table and Rose's glare turned to her cousin for a moment.

"Apparently you _aren't_ all that smart," Dante sniffed. "Didn't your parents ever tell you when you were little that if a boy was mean to you, he probably liked you?"

"Last I checked, that was only applicable to six year olds, not eighteen year olds," Rose sneered. "Besides, what's your point? Plenty of people are wankers to me. Does that mean they all 'like' me?"

"Probably not," Dante admitted, "but Scorpius is a definite exception. Well, as of late he is. He was just being a twat for the first six and a half years."

"Stop fucking with me, Zabini," Rose growled. "He cares for nothing but himself, and why would he care about me?"

"I never said he _cared_ about you," Dante drawled. "You're such a romantic. I said he _likes_ you. He wants to shag you."

"Christ, are you all this bloody vulgar?" Rose grumbled. "So, the only reason Scorpius bloody Malfoy has been an ass to me for the last seven years of my life is because he wants to get into my pants?" Dante nodded and Rose snorted. "Charming. Fucking charming."

"I don't know where you got this idea that life was all kittens and unicorns," Ingrid leered, huddling into Albus' side. "If you find someone who wants you, take them, regardless of whether or not they _love_ you."

"You're really a glass half full sort of girl, aren't you?" Rose snapped sarcastically and Ingrid gave her a vacant smile. "I don't care if he loves me or not, but something more than the desire to have sex with me wouldn't go astray."

"Scor doesn't get more than that," Dante said. "For as long as he's been shagging girls, that's all he's wanted. He isn't about to do what his father did and get tied down at nineteen."

"Obviously," Ingrid rolled her eyes. "Look how well that all worked out for his dad. Married at nineteen, when that Greengrass bitch was only seventeen, she popped Scor out a few years later and left as soon as he went to Hogwarts. No one in their right mind would follow in their father's footsteps if that's where it would land them."

"As charming as it is to discuss the ever so exciting personal life of the Malfoys, can we please get back to the matter at hand?" Rose asked impatiently.

"And what would that be?" Dante questioned.

"Your apparent ignorance of social interactions by members of the opposite sex?" Ingrid supplied.

"Fat load of good talking to Slytherins will do me," Rose grumbled and both Ingrid and Dante grinned. "Fuck it. I'll leave you to your...couple business– "

"It's called sex, darling," Ingrid interrupted.

"Right. Sex. I'll leave you to it," Rose glared at the group before standing and leaving.

Since when were Slytherins ever help to anyone?

_**

* * *

St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries**_

_**September 18**__**th**__**, 2024**_

The room was silent, absent of the usual rhythmic heartbeat of the patient who lay in the bed. The Healers moved about slowly, heads bowed, murmuring quiet apologies to one another when they accidentally bumped into each other. It was a sad occasion, and yet in a hospital, it was one that occurred all too frequently. And yet Rose could not seem to fathom that the man who lay in the bed, only twenty six, would not be waking up.

She clambered awkwardly onto his bed, beating at his chest wildly in a crude attempt at a muggle method of resuscitation, but despite her best efforts there was no change. Arms wrapped their way around her body, wrenching her from her position and tossing her like a sack of potatoes into the visitor's chair.

"Weasley, snap the fuck out of it," Scorpius growled at her but she only glared resolutely back at him. "He's dead. Get over it or get the fuck out."

"No," she said stubbornly, pushing her past him and back over to the patient. "I can save him. Get out, Malfoy."

"Weasley, you're only making it worse for yourself," Scorpius snapped, wrapping his fingers around her arm and wrenching her back until she stumbled into his chest. "_He is dead_. Even the best Healer in the world could do nothing to save him now. Get over it. We're Healers now. _People die_. It comes with the job."

"We're meant to save them!" Rose cried out, pulling her arm from his grip. She was horrified to realize that a steady flow of tears trickled down her cheeks and she wiped at them with the back of her hand. "We're meant to save them," her voice was barely a whisper.

"You can't save everybody," Scorpius said quietly, stepping past her and pulling the white sheet up to cover the patient's entire body. "It was a test, Weasley. They assigned us patients who were going to die. They wanted to see how we'd react when they did eventually kick the bucket," he ignored her cringing at his frankness. "Mine died about two hours ago. It was a bitch of a thing for them to do, but they need to so they can know who is going to have a meltdown each time a patient dies on them. If I hadn't stopped you before one of the supervisors had walked in then you'd be out on your sorry ass."

"Thanks for the pep talk," Rose sniffed indignantly, casting sad eyes upon the figure beneath the white sheet. "You can piss off now."

"I don't think so," Scorpius clucked his tongue. "You get out first. If I leave you might start straddling the corpse again and I don't think necrophilia is covered by our insurance clause."

"You're sick," Rose spat, but exited the room anyway, leaving Scorpius alone with the fresh corpse. He sat on the edge of the bed, grinning.

"Looks like we're reeling her in," he said aloud to no one in particular, clapping the dead man's leg with his hand. "And I'm talking to a dead guy," he added, scrunching up his nose and sighing.

It had been a trying few weeks for Scorpius, working with Rose. She had been as feisty as ever, always challenging him on any decision he made and constantly smarming up to the bosses. He, on the other hand, had been perfectly happy just to go along with life at the hospital without any arse-kissing. The other intern, Isabelle, had endured a slight breakdown when her patient, a seventy year old witch suffering from a violent case of Kneazle Measles had passed away and had since been relieved of her position. Though there were always three positions available, competition between the interns was always fierce.

Scorpius smoothed his robes as he stood and exited the room of the recently deceased patient quickly, his grey eyes flicking to a large clock which hung in the hallway. It was half past five and he was free to leave for the night, which was exactly what he did. After flooing back to an empty Malfoy Manor he stripped off his lime green robes and showered quickly, donning dark grey jeans and a black button down shirt when he was finished. His father was in France at a wizarding law symposium and Scorpius had organized to have a Dante and Ingrid over for a few drinks and some dinner.

By quarter to seven, Scorpius was sitting by the fire in the parlour of the east wing, his hand wrapped firmly around a bottle of butterbeer as he waited for his friends. On cue, the fire glowed green and Scorpius' eyebrows lifted as two figures emerged from his fireplace.

"Scor," Dante greeted his friend with a slap on the back. "Nice to see you, mate."

"Likewise," Scorpius grinned, rising to kiss Ingrid's cheek. "Drinks?" he waved his hand towards the liquor cabinet behind him and both of his guests reached for bottles of butterbeer, though he was certain that by the time the night was over they would have made a rather large start on the firewhiskey. "How've you two been?"

"Brilliant," Ingrid smirked, reclining in her chair. The room was filled with an assortment of comfortable chairs in various shades of green, giving an ultimately pleasing effect when teamed with the hardwood floors and white walls. "I've been offered a job at Twilfitt and Tatting's."

"Retail, Ingrid?" Dante sniffed. "Aren't you a little above working as a shop assistant?"

"Not as an assistant, dickhead," Ingrid rolled her eyes. "As a _designer_. I went around Diagon handing out examples of my designs and got a job there. They said they were looking for something 'fresh' and that my designs would fit right in."

"Congratulations," Scorpius raised his bottle in toast. "What about you, Dante? Found any work or are you scrounging from your parents?"

"Dad's trying to talk me into a position at the Ministry, but I don't really want to work with my father. I've been thinking about working as a curse breaker," the Italian wizard admitted.

"Yeah, but you'd have to leave your _friend_ behind," Ingrid grinned. "Somehow I don't think you'd manage."

"Weasley?" Scorpius asked with a raised brow and Ingrid nodded. "Interesting. I was under the impression that you two were going to fuck and get over it."

"_Dominique_," Dante stressed, running his hand through his hair. "And she's more than just a 'fuck', Scor."

"Don't say you're falling for a Gryffindor," Scorpius cautioned but Dante ignored him.

"_You_ fell for a Gryffindor a long time ago."

Scorpius paled slightly but his face remained as guarded and blank as ever. "I haven't a clue what you're talking about," he said confidently, sipping at his drink and eyeing his friends who are both smirking in a way which was pure Slytherin. "Care to enlighten me on who I've apparently 'fallen' for?"

"Don't play dumb, Scorpius," Ingrid drawled. "You should know by now that it doesn't look good on you."

"It looks just as good on you as it does on Rose Weasley," Dante sniggered and Ingrid laughed along with him. Scorpius' eyes narrowed at his guests, his icy grey eyes full of growing anger. "Don't deny it, Scor. You've been smitten since you were fifteen. You always used your family's front as a tool to pretend that you hate her, but really, you start drooling whenever she walks into a room."

"I think you're mistaking my..._feelings_ for your own, Dante," Scorpius sneered and his companions rolled their eyes. "Salazar knows you can hardly pick your jaw up from the floor when that Weasley girl walks by. You should really get that checked out." He could not help the bite in his voice. His anger towards his friends was clear. After spending so long carefully concealing his odd feelings towards the redheaded Gryffindor who had been the bane of his schooling at Hogwarts, his friends' discovery irked him.

Dante's gaze turned cold as he stared at Scorpius. "Keep this act going and you'll end up cold and lonely while Rose is off shagging Finnegan," he snarled and Scorpius' face darkened. "We're your best friends, Scor, and you've been wanting Rose since you caught a peek of her in the Prefect's Bathroom. You came back to the Common Room as though you'd just seen Merlin in the flesh."

"And then the next day," Ingrid took over, "when she walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, you nearly passed out in your bacon. You got a hold of yourself after that, but the damage was done. Dante and I already knew exactly what was going on."

"You are absolutely insane," Scorpius defended himself, crossing his arms tightly against his chest as he glared at his friends who stared back at him smugly. "If you've only come this evening to berate me, then you know where the fireplace is. Feel free to leave."

"I'll leave when _you_ admit that you are completely and utterly infatuated with one Rose Weasley," Ingrid said simply and swilled back the last of her drink. "Well?"

If looks could kill, Ingrid and Dante would have been dead in Scorpius' parlour. His upper lip had curled into a look of contempt and his eyes were narrowed and icy, more so than usual. "Fine," he eventually spat. "I am infatuated with Rose sodding Weasley and I intend to sleep with her."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: A very long absence from me allows me to bring you a new chapter! This fic will definitely have at least one more part, if not two, but I'm not promising when the next part will be out. Pictures will be up eventually, but until then, use your imagination! Please, don't forget to review!**

_**

* * *

Dominique Weasley's Apartment, Diagon Alley**_

_**September 25**__**th**__**, 2024**_

_**Noon**_

Rose lounged lazily on her cousin's settee, waiting for her best friend to return from her bedroom. It was Rose's first day off since beginning her internship where she was not weighed down by masses of texts to study and she had chosen to luxuriate in the early autumn sunshine. The weather outside was unseasonably warm, with many of the witches and wizards in the shopping district below forgoing their robes in favour of muggle garb. Rose herself was dressed simply in a floral dress and sandals, her sunglasses perched on top of her head.

"You ready?" Dominique asked, sidling into the room. Rose suppressed a groan at her friend's appearance. As always, Dom looked flawless. The blonde witch had curled her hair lightly so it hung in bouncy ringlets down her back and had opted for a pair of tiny denim shorts and a white tank top.

"Yeah, I'm starved," Rose joined her cousin as they walked from the apartment block and into the stifling midday sun of Diagon Alley. Men and women were milling about the shopping district, eating their lunch in the sunshine or seeking refuge from the warmth in the shade. Hogwarts having gone back less than a month prior, there were no school-aged children, the area instead a hub for working Ministry officials taking an early lunch break. "Where are we going?"

"There's a new cafe which opened up down where Knockturn Alley used to be. Mum said it's pretty good," Dom said as she guided them through the crowds.

Rose had read about Knockturn Alley. Following the conclusion of the war, all areas which catered to the needs of dark wizards were demolished to make way for new complexes designed to create a happier, lighter atmosphere. No one needed to be reminded of the war, and many of the proprietors of the stores which had formerly existed in the once dingy area had also been convicted of crimes relating to dark magic. The Atmospheric Charms had been removed, storefronts painted over, and Knockturn Alley had become an extension of Diagon Alley. The revamped area catered mainly to the younger crowds, with cheap housing and a more alternative style of shopping. The streets were now lined with cafes and coffee shops and colourful apartment blocks.

"Here it is," Dominique pointed ahead to a large sign which read 'The Owlery'. Rose raised her brows at her friends. "I know, sounds a bit weird, but everything here is weird. Apparently the food is really good, though."

"As long as we sit outside and I don't get food poisoning, I'll be happy," Rose said as she dropped into a seat outside the cafe. They perused their menus for a few minutes until a waiter appeared to take their order, Rose ordering a calamari and chorizo salad with potatoes, Dom ordering zucchini fritters. They both ignored the waiter's lingering stare on Dominique's appearance, helping themselves to water instead.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Dante might come to meet us," Dom mentioned nonchalantly and Rose's glass stopped midway to her lips. "He just mentioned that he'd be in Diagon today, and I told him I'd be lunching with you, and then he said he might find us."

"_Just_ your boytoy?" Rose asked through narrowed eyes.

"Hey!" her cousin cried. "He's way more than just a boytoy. He's special."

"_Special_? What a charming way to describe him," Rose said. "But as long as he doesn't bring his friends along, I don't care if he visits."

"Ingrid's absolutely lovely, you should know," Dom said. "Albus is smitten by her. She's actually very smart, once you get past the cocky and snarky exterior she has, _and_ she's really nice."

"Woopie for Ingrid," Rose rolled her eyes. "You know I mean Malfoy. I see enough of him at work. I don't need his company on my day off. Merlin only knows how I've managed to survive working with him for the last month. He's an entirely insufferable git, you know. He even had the audacity to stop me from trying to save my patient." She crossed her arms tightly against her chest, expecting Dominique to join in on the berating of Scorpius, but the blonde didn't.

"Dante told me about that," she said instead. "Scorpius told him that it was a test, and he was just trying to help you keep your internship. According to Dante, Scorpius isn't all _that_ bad. Like, sure, he acts like a complete wanker, but he's actually meant to be pretty cool. Not to mention filthy rich and a brain only rivalled by your own. You'd be good together."

Rose choked on her water at that point, spraying it across the table. Dom's upper lip curled. "Are you shitting me?" Rose spluttered as she cleaned up the mess with her wand. "Scorpius prick-of-the-century Malfoy and _me_? What on earth gave you the idea that we'd be good for each other in any way whatsoever?"

"You're both smart," Dom ticked off on her fingers, "you're both training to become Healers, you're both stubborn, you both seem to have this extreme hatred for each other which can only be a front for hiding the consuming sexual tension you both feel towards each other, and quite frankly, you need to get laid."

"_What_?" Rose asked, her voice's pitch rising so much that it shocked the waiter who was depositing their meals.

"You heard me," Dom said as she began to dig into her food. "God, this stuff is amazing."

"Fine, I need sex, but even if that's the case, _why_ would you even suggest Scorpius Malfoy?" Rose demanded, silently agreeing with her cousin's announcement about the food. Everything did taste absolutely amazing.

"Because I could treat you to the time of your life that would leave you unable to walk for _weeks_," came the voice of Scorpius who had arrived with Dante at that precise moment. "I do have to wonder why you're speculating about my sexual prowess, though it _is_ an incredibly fascinating subject."

Rose's cheeks burned and she let her hair fall over her shoulders to hide her face. "Wanker," she heard Dante say and then the distinct sound of two people kissing. With her eyes on her food, she noticed the shadows move and the scraping noise of chairs being dragged across the pavement, Dante and Scorpius dropping into them. Once she was sure the colour had somewhat faded from her cheeks, Rose lifted her head to see Dante staring daggers at Scorpius and Dominique giving her a sympathetic smile.

"Excuse my cock of a best friend, Rose," Dante said when he looked away from Scorpius who did not look remotely abashed. "If I realized that he'd be this much of a dick then I'd have put a muzzle on him."

"Look out, Weasley," Scorpius directed to Dom. "Looks like Dante has a bit of a bondage fetish."

"Cute," Dominique rolled her eyes. "Mind being a cock somewhere else, though?"

"Nah, I'm quite comfortable here, actually," Scorpius emphasized his point by stretching out and clasping his hands together behind his head. He tossed a wink in Rose's direction and this time she just sneered at him before returning to her food. Dante and Dominique were immersed in quite whispers to one another, their faces soft and sweet as they gazed at each other. "Why so cold, Rosie? Shouldn't we put our differences aside for the sake of our job?"

"Right, because that's worked in the past for us," she snorted.

"Or we could set aside our differences so we could have an excellent fuck," he suggested. "I'm sure all that anger you have could be channelled into much more passionate pursuits, if only you allowed me to woo you."

His tone was mocking and she was disgusted when she felt his hand on her knee. Shoving it away angrily, she glared at him. "Does your mind ever get out of the gutter, or has it taken up permanent residence?"

"Why so feisty?"

"Maybe because the quiet lunch I was planning on sharing with my cousin has turned into a cockfest because of you," she said dryly and he smirked.

"Poor Rosie," he cooed. "If you let me have my way with you, then I'm sure you'd _love_ my presence at a cockfest. In fact, you'll just love my cock."

"You are disgusting," Rose snapped, fishing around in her bag for her purse. She deposited her money for her meal on the table, glared at the others who remained seated, watching her, and marched away from the cafe.

She apparated back home, which was thankfully empty, and went directly to her bedroom. Stripping out of her dress, she pulled on an oversized t-shirt and some shorts, her comfort clothes in the warmer months. She stared around at her bedroom, each corner reminding her that she had barely left her childhood behind. The pictures she had taken with her friends when she was thirteen were tacked up on the walls, posters of bad wizard boy bands hanging next to them. Stuffed animals were piled in one corner and she decided that her bedroom looked as though it belonged to a fourteen year old.

Tying her hair back tightly, Rose scrounged around for a spare cardboard box and spent the next few hours removing everything from the walls the muggle way, folding it all neatly and putting it in the box. She found a few other containers and stuffed her old toys in them, along with the books she had been in love with during her younger years. By four o'clock, when her mother arrived home, the effect was starkly different. The room looked emptier with no personal effects to speak of.

"Rose, you home?" Hermione's voice sounded from downstairs and her footsteps approached. "You've been busy."

Rose gave the room one last look, acknowledging the bare white walls and the hardwood floors, and realized just why she had decided to pack her childhood away into three cardboard boxes. "I think I want to move out."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up in surprise but she nodded. "If you want to find alternate living arrangements, then I'm sure your father and I could help you."

"Thanks, mum," Rose smiled, stepping towards Hermione and embracing her tightly. "But don't worry, I'll still bring my washing for you to do."

_**

* * *

Zabini Estate**_

_**November 1**__**st**__**, 2024**_

_**Evening**_

"Dom told me that Rose has moved out," Dante commented, pouring out two glasses of firewhiskey and handing one to his best mate.

"Why the fuck would I give a damn about that?" Scorpius drawled, rolling his eyes. "I said I wanted to shag her, not move in with her."

"You're such a romantic," Dante said sarcastically. "I was just making conversation."

"Don't."

Dante rolled his eyes and drained his glass, summoning the bottle over with a silent flick of his wand. It drifted lazily through the air towards him, but Scorpius caught it and poured himself a glass. "Wanker."

Scorpius smirked at him in reply. "How's Weasley going for you?"

"I didn't know you gave a damn," the Italian replied, raising a brow.

"I don't," the blonde amended. "Simply making conversation."

"Well, she's fine," Dante sniffed.

"Brilliant," Scorpius sighed, resting his head on the back of his armchair and closing his eyes. He was _exhausted_. Between working at the hospital, fighting like cat and dog with Rose, and trying to move his belongings into the East Wing of Malfoy Manor, away from his childhood section of the house, he had little time for sleeping. And now he had chosen visiting his fucking friend over catching up on lost sleep. The exhaustion must be driving him loopy, he thought, moving his head momentarily to sip at his firewhiskey.

"How's the move?" his mate's voice sounded, making his eyes snap open.

"Charmingly. In between work and that, I have no time to sleep. Dad keeps hassling me about it, wondering I'm even bothering," Scorpius rolled his eyes. "It's such a fucking pain."

"Why are you bothering?"

"You really want to know?" he asked wryly, sniggering when Dante nodded. "So I can fuck without a silencing charm."

Dante's reaction was the desired one. Having just taken a sip of firewhiskey, the normally forever elegant Italian spluttered and choked on his drink, spraying a fine mist of it in front of him as Scorpius' cackles filled the room. "You cock," Dante wheezed out, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I should have known it'd be something like that."

"You never learn," Scorpius said happily, pouring himself another drink. The alcohol was working its magic on him and he was beginning to feel light and warm.

"I just thought we'd have graduated from schoolboy humour," Dante rolled his eyes and Scorpius smirked cheekily at him. "You'd think you were a horny fourth year."

"Yeah, well, wit isn't my strongest suit at the moment," Scorpius shrugged.

"Too busy using it all up trying to charm and woo your way into Rose Weasley's heart?" This time it was Dante's face that turned into a cheeky grin. "C'mon, man. I can't believe you still haven't gotten there yet."

Scorpius' eyes narrowed but they still sparkled lightly with good humour. "I don't exactly have the best relationship base to work from. Or in case you've forgotten, she's hated me since we pretty much met. All her father's doing, of course, putting thoughts of distaste about me in her head. How on earth am I meant to break down that little wall of complete and utter loathing to get in her pants without resulting to spiked drinks?"

"I don't know. Maybe stop being a complete and utter wanker to her?" Dante answered immediately. "Look, you've been a cock to her since day one, and now that you've decided she's the hottest girl around, you don't know how to repair the damage. Why not start small and just stop being a cock?"

_**

* * *

Rose Weasley's Apartment, Diagon Alley**_

_**November 20**__**th**__**, 2024**_

_**Morning**_

Rose looked around her new apartment and grinned. She had been working hard on it ever since she had moved in, perfecting it until it reached the appearance she had so desired. The apartment itself was small and the majority of it taken up with bookshelves but it was all the room she needed. With the help of her mother and Aunt Ginny and their combined arsenal of household spells, the entire place had been decked out in dark hardwood floors and the walls were covered in dark green wallpaper, lightly decorated with a floral pattern. Her mother had expressed worry that the overall feel would be too dark, but the large window which looked over the Alley had taken care of the problem.

The furniture of the place was all dark wood and nothing seemed to match, another concern to Hermione, but Rose loved the overall effect. She had spent many late nights curled in the overstuffed armchair in the corner, reading medical journals and sipping countless cups of tea. She had grown used to living by herself, though she still visited home once a week to see her parents for Sunday dinner. With Hugo at Hogwarts, the meal was always a quiet affair, but Rose wasn't quite ready to let go of that tradition yet.

There was a knock at the front door and Rose straightened the last cushion on her couch, smoothed down the front of her blouse, and went to greet her guest, but the person standing outside was not who she had expected.

"Malfoy?" she asked as Scorpius stood outside her front door, trademark smirk plastered on his face. "What are you doing here?"

He took a single step forward and she stepped back at the same time, this motion continuing until he was in the advantageous position of shutting the door and keeping them both in the apartment. Rose swallowed thickly, still baffled at his motives. "I came to see you, Rose," he said silkily, his voice soft like honey. She felt goosebumps break out all over her skin. "Is that okay with you, _Rose_?" he asked, emphasizing her last name. It sounded so delicate on his tongue.

"I-uh, yeah. I guess," she stuttered. He continued to stalk forward and she stumbled back, hitting her legs on the back of her couch.

"Don't be afraid of me," he cooed, sensing her unease. "I wouldn't hurt you. I would _never_ hurt you. Haven't you noticed how nice I've been acting towards you? How I make no more rude comments? How I help you?"

Rose opened her mouth to deny his claims but shut it abruptly. It was true, Scorpius _had_ been acting much more chivalrous as of late. He had often struck up friendly conversation with her at work and there had been one or two occasions where he had fetched her a cup of tea during their break. His snide comments had vanished and he was being downright courteous. "Why are you acting so nice?" she finally asked and his lips twisted into a broad smile.

"Tsk, I thought you were supposed to be _smart_," he let out a low chuckle that sent shivers down Rose's spine. "Because, my dear, I desire you."

She swallowed thickly and inhaled sharply. Scorpius had moved far closer than she was aware and all that she breathed in was his masculine scent, his mouth-watering cologne. Inadvertently, she leaned closer, not realizing what her actions would mean until his lips crashed into hers.

Too shocked to pull away, she allowed herself to be consumed by the kiss, engulfed in his fiery expertise. He coaxed her into responding, into returning his ministrations with as much enthusiasm as he delivered them. His teeth caught her lower lip and tugged slightly, eliciting a moan of pleasure and pain from her. Her hands clumsily worked to untuck his button down white top from his black slacks and he deftly unbuttoned her blouse. It slid off her shoulders and he pushed it to the ground before scooping her up with his hands on her bum. She locked her legs around his waist, not quite believing what she was doing as he carried her from the main room to her tiny bedroom.

Carefully, he lowered her onto the bed and lay down on top of her, propping himself up on his elbows. He kissed lips one last time before moving down her neck, dipping his tongue into the hollow at the base of her throat, sucking lightly just below her collarbone, grazing his lips over her bra-clad breasts. He kissed his way down the flat expanse of her stomach and her breath hitched when he reached the top of her jeans.

He undid the button and did the same with the zip, searching for eye contact as he slowly slipped the garment down her long legs. He had hooked his fingers into her knickers and they came away with the pants leaving her almost entirely exposed. He kissed up the inside of her leg, pausing momentarily just as he reached the apex of her thighs. She gave a shaky nod and expelled a shallow breath just as he lowered his head.

A loud buzzing filled the room and Rose sat up sharply, panting heavily. Son of a bitch. Had she really just had a sex dream about _Scorpius Malfoy_? The buzzing continued and Rose slapped her hand on the muggle alarm clock beside her bed, effectively shutting the noise out. But the pressing matter was not the infernal racket, but rather the fact that she had barely escaped having dreamtime sexual intercourse with Scorpius Malfoy. The idea was completely repulsive now that she was awake, but she couldn't deny that the dream version of the bane of her existence was most definitely causing her a need for a cold shower.

She slipped out of bed and tossed off the old t-shirt she wore as her pyjamas. Since moving away from home she had discovered the pleasurable freedom of dressing less than modestly when she was by herself at home, and the feeling was liberating. She often paraded around her apartment in nothing more than her knickers, but only after ensuring she had placed Privacy Charms on the windows.

Stepping out of her knickers, Rose cranked up the cold water in her shower. The pressure was rubbish but it did its job of cooling her down and taking her mind off certain blonde haired colleagues. Once she was successfully calmed down she turned on the hot water and showered quickly, wrapping herself in a towel and returning to her room. She had scheduled to go shopping with Dom for some "Girl Time" as in between Rose's internship and Dominique's whirlwind romance with Dante Zabini, the two hadn't been able to spend much time together recently.

Rose dressed for the cooler weather, pulling on black tights under a grey sweater dress. She tied up her boots, wrapped a scarf around her neck, and apparated to a blustery side street of London. She was due to meet her cousin in a café for a late breakfast and then waste the rest of their day (and no doubt all their money) going from store to store. She had quite a steady income and Dom was spoiled by her parents (and no doubt her wealthy boyfriend) so they both always came out of their shopping days with more clothes than they needed.

Entering the café, Rose spied Dom in a corner booth. The blonde waved her over with a big smile and Rose suppressed a sigh. Once again, she knew she would never – _could_ never – look prettier than her cousin. Dominique had opted for an outfit of tight jeans and an oversized plain knitted jumper, but she still looked dazzling. Rose slid into the side of the booth opposite her cousin.

"Hey," Dom smiled. "I ordered a traditional English breakfast for us both. And an orange juice for you."

"Cheers. You look great, by the way," Rose complimented, "as per usual."

Dominique snorted and rolled her eyes. "Please. I came straight from Dante's and forgot to pack other clothes, so this is what I was wearing last night. _You_ on the other hand look spectacular."

Rose lifted a single brow in a delicate arch but said nothing more on the subject knowing Dom would simply shoot her down. Instead she decided to change onto a topic which Dom would hugely appreciate. "So, how is Dante?"

"Fantastic," Dom said as the colour flooded her cheeks. "He's just wonderful. And last night he told me he loved me. Like, he genuinely _loves_ me. It made me so happy I could almost sing."

"Congratulations, Dom," Rose said, truly happy for her cousin. She was always pleased to see her family, particularly Dom and Albus, so happy. "Haven't hit any tough spots yet, I take it."

"No, not yet. I mean, his parents were peeved that he was dating a Weasley, but Dante – God, he's so brave – he told them that either they could accept his relationship with me or he'd flat out leave," Dominique explained. "Of course, they couldn't stand that considering he's their only child and they'd be absolutely mortified if he was to live anywhere away from him that wasn't to the highest of standards, so they gave in eventually, and now we get along fine. Of course, they refuse to associate with the rest of my family, but they at least don't mind me."

"That's surprisingly open of them," Rose noted.

"Yes, well, Blaise, Dante's father, you know, has always been quite prejudiced, but apparently Daphne, his mother, was never too concerned with the whole blood status thing. And I think she also admires my Veela heritage. I heard her talking to Blaise about how pretty our children would be if Dante and I had any, so I think she wants me for my looks. But we do get on alright, so it isn't solely based on that," Dom continued and Rose nodded along with her, trying to process her cousin's rapid ramblings.

"But what about _you_, Rosie-Posie? Surely you've gotten some action since school finished," Dom prompted and smiled at the waitress who brought over their meals. "I mean, come on, it's been _ages_ since you got laid."

"Puh-lease," Rose rolled her eyes. "The only person I'm around on a daily basis is Scorpius bloody Malfoy, and there is absolutely _no_ way I'm going near him with a ten foot pole."

Dominique chewed on a mouthful of bacon slowly and Rose could practically see the cogs turning in her cousin's mind. "Yes, but Rosie, you have to face it, you've always had a bit of a crush on Scorpius."  
"What? Are you completely mental?" Rose asked, dropping her fork with a clatter. "He's vile! A loathsome little cockroach!"

"He may be mean, but little he is not," Dominique sniggered and Rose glared at her. "Seriously, though, how long are you going to keep denying it? All you do when we're together – or with anyone else for that matter – is talk about him, and if you hate him as much as you do, why don't you just ignore him rather than finding reasons to interact with him?"

"It's not as simple as that! He's always there, and if I don't respond then he'll just keep pestering me until I ultimately snap," Rose sighed. "And besides, I've hardly spoken to him in almost three weeks. He's decided to ignore me entirely or actually be _nice_. It's kind of creepy."

Dominique let out another laugh. "Dante was telling me about this. Don't tell anyone I said anything, but Scorpius is trying to win you over. Or at least get into your pants."

"You _cannot_ be serious!" Rose cried out, startling a few of the other patrons. She dropped her head to her hands. "That's _disgusting_."

"C'mon, Rose. Just admit it, you _like_ him," Dom nudged her beneath the table.

"I do not have any feelings like _that_ towards _him_ of all people."

"But you at _least_ have to find him attractive. Lord, I'm in love with his best friend but I still find him attractive," Dominique pretended she was flushed and made a fan from her napkin.

Rose thought about the Scorpius of her dream. The chiselled jaw, firm chest, broad shoulders, muscular arms, and completely kissable lips. She could almost feel his soft hair through her fingers as she sat at the table and it wasn't until Dominique laughed that she snapped out of it.

"I know that look. _That_ look means you're having dirty, dirty thoughts about someone, and judging by our conversation, you're having those thoughts about Scorpius," the blonde said, sounding delighted with the turn of events. Rose felt her cheeks flush bright red and Dom's smile only grew wider. "So tell me, any juicy news about him I should know about?"

"I had a dream," Rose mumbled so quietly that Dominique asked her to repeat what she just said. "I had a dream about him last night. You know. One of _those_ dreams."

Dominique squealed and clapped her hands gleefully. "This is _so_ much better than shopping. What happened?"

"Well," Rose's cheeks grew an impossible shade of red and she took a long sip of cool orange juice to calm herself down. "He was, ah, _pleasuring_ me in…_that_ way, and then I woke up. Before anything really happened, though. I mean, we kissed. A lot. Made out. And then he was going down _there_ and was almost there but I woke up just before it."

"Wow. Rose Weasley having sex dreams about anyone is scandalous enough, but _detailed_ ones about Scorpius Malfoy is just…wow," Dominique smirked.

"Shut it or I'll tell Dante how you practically stalked him in sixth year," Rose growled. "Now, are we going shopping or what?"

"Oh, good point! Also, I'm having a few people over tonight for drinks so you'll need something new to wear for that, and so do I," Dom threw the money for breakfast down on the table and they rose and left the warmth of the café for the cold London day.

_**Later that day**_

_**Rose Weasley's Apartment**_

"Bloody Dominique Weasley," Rose groaned, staring at herself in the mirror. Her dress was too short, her heels too high, her makeup too thick, her hair too extravagant, but she knew that if she changed even the smallest detail, Dominique would notice and crucify her.

According to Hermione, a lady was to emphasize one part of her body – her legs, her breasts, her bum – and leave the rest up to imagination, but according to Dominique, this idea was old fashioned and designed to keep daughters from dressing too skanky at a young age. Dom's opinion was clearly shown in the tight and incredibly short she had forced Rose to wear which exposed a large amount of leg and an ample amount of bosom, and left very little of her rear to the imagination. Her shoes only added to the effect, making her even taller and standing out in a dark green.

Rose knew her cousin was up to something with the colour choice of the shoes but had said nothing. Her cousin had also decided to do her makeup as well, and as a result Rose's eyes were lined in a dark liner and her lips were painted red. Her hair was in large curls that were somewhat reminiscent of the 1950's, an era Rose knew her mother to be particularly fond of.

"Okay, you ready?" Dominique strutted out of Rose's bedroom, brushing her hand through her blonde curls. She was wearing an impossibly short dress that showed more leg than Rose's but no cleavage to speak of, and the skirt was fuller. Her shoes were something that nobody could wear without looking tacky unless they were Dominique Weasley, and she had opted for similar makeup and hair to Rose.

"Sure, sure," Rose took her cousin's arm and they apparated away to Dom's apartment. Dominique flicked her wand to open the Floo and lower her security wards as Rose unlocked the liquor cabinet. With a flick of her wand, Rose had pulled out all manner of drinks and glasses, ranging from champagne flutes to shot glasses. Dom moved the table into the centre of the room and all the liquor, snacks, and glasses were placed on it just before the fireplace erupted with green flames and Albus strolled out with Ingrid on his arm.

Ingrid immediately let go of her man's arm as he strode over to Rose and squeezed her tightly, kissing her cheek. "Long time no see, Rosie," he smiled and she returned his grin. "You work too hard. Promise me you'll come to my house sometime soon to see me?"

"Sure thing," Rose promised, hugging him again. She missed her cousin and closest friend more than anyone in the world and hated that life was making her see him less and less. Before she could say anything more, the fireplace was flooded with green light again and Dante stepped out. Dominique, predictably, threw herself into his arms, and Rose began to feel slightly out of place as Albus returned to Ingrid's side.

She was thankfully saved as the doorbell rang and she was able to turn her back on the canoodling happy couples. She opened the door and groaned upon the sight of Scorpius standing on the doorstep. He didn't look too pleased at being there either, his hands shoved into the pockets of his black slacks and his eyes dark. Her mind flashed to her dream and she blushed as she stepped out of his way to let him enter. She knew this was obviously a rouse by Dominique (and no doubt Dante) to get her and Scorpius together, but she couldn't bring herself to be mad at her cousin. Looking at Scorpius, who had immediately moved to get a drink, she was perhaps feeling something more than the normal resentment she felt. Something much more volatile.

She cleared her throat to dismiss the thoughts, the sound inadvertently attracting Dominique's attention.

"Oh!" she cried happily, separating herself from Dante. "Everyone's here now. Shall we play a game?" Rose raised her eyebrows at her cousin but Scorpius and Albus both inquired into what sort of game it would be. "A drinking game, of course."

There was a murmur of agreement and everyone gathered around the table. Rose passed out the shot glasses and magically charmed a bottle of vodka to fill each glass before resting in the middle of the table. "I never?" Ingrid suggested and once again everyone agreed. "Dibs not starting. Rose, you go."

Rose wanted to question Ingrid's use of her first name but all eyes were on her to choose a statement. "Uh…I never gave a striptease."

Ingrid and, much to everyone's surprise and amusement, Scorpius downed their shots, wincing as the alcohol burned their throats. Dante cleared his throat and smirked, "I never kissed a guy."

"Fucker," Scorpius growled as the bottle poured him another shot and he downed it with the girls. Rose was wondering to herself which guy Scorpius had kissed until Dominique spoke.

"I never had sex on the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch," she giggled. Albus, Ingrid, Dante and Scorpius all had a drink, Scorpius furious at this point.

The game passed through Albus and Ingrid ("I never had sex in the bathrooms at Hogwarts" and "I never did a nudie run" respectively) until it reached Scorpius. He had been made to drink five shots in the space of about ten minutes and had confessed to not eating before he came, causing his normally rigid demeanour to relax slightly. A smirk came to his face when he realized it was his turn and he looked Rose directly in the eye as he spoke.

"I never left a woman unsatisfied."

Rose's cheeks burned bright and she saw Albus clench his fists at the statement. Nobody took a drink but everyone was aware Scorpius didn't care about the game. He cared about one thing: Rose Weasley, and he was going to get her.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Dominique Weasley's Apartment, Diagon Alley**_

_**21**__**st**__** November, 2024**_

_**Noon**_

"Wait, what happened?" Rose asked, nursing her head between her hands. Dante chuckled and flicked his wand, effectively clearing her hangover and she finally relaxed. "What did I do?"

Dante laughed again and Rose glared in his direction. "Babe, can you give us some time alone?" Dom requested, handing Rose a cup of tea and kissing Dante on the cheek. "Maybe go and see how Scorpius is."

He rolled his eyes but complied, grabbing his coat and disappearing with a crack. "What happened, Dom?" Rose asked and she saw her cousin's lips twitch. "That bad?"

"No, uh, not _bad_. Well, unless you're you or Albus, in which case I guess it is bad. Though you seemed to be enjoying yourself at the time, so I don't know if we can call it bad," Dominique lapsed into silence, leaving an irritable Rose to sip at her tea for a few moments. "Oh, right, well, after we finished 'I Never', Al and Ingrid kind of snuck into my room, which is revolting by the way, and I'm assuming they were distracted. And then Dante, ah, distracted me, and when I looked back ten minutes later, you were…"

"What was I doing, Dominique?" Rose asked, dreading the answer.

"Well, he was sitting on the couch, and you were…kind of…um, well, you were straddling him. And kissing him. And it was getting pretty wild."

"I swear to whatever divine bloody entity, if you are lying to me, I will kill you," Rose threatened, though she knew her cousin was being entirely truthful.

"I promise I'm not lying. That's what I saw. But it didn't go any further than that. I guess you weren't _that_ drunk yet. Anyway, I kind of laughed and you looked up at me and then sort of rolled off Scorpius, and he left a few minutes later. He was being very strange," Dominique said.

"Of course he was being bloody strange, Dom! He'd just been kissing _me_, the girl who he has openly declared his hate for multiple times in the past seven and a half years. You can't expect him to be happy about it, can you?" Rose sighed, standing up and grabbing her cousin's cup. She rinsed them in the sink, facing away from Dominique who hadn't replied. "Look, I need to get home and clean up before dinner with Mum and Dad. Then, maybe I can think of how I'm possibly going to face Malfoy tomorrow."

* * *

_**Malfoy Manor**_

_**Scorpius Malfoy's Wing**_

_**Later that day…**_

When Scorpius Malfoy had been a child and his parents would fight like cat and dog, he used to lie on his bed and stare at the ceiling. His father had remodelled the entire East Wing of the house prior to Scorpius' birth, and it remained his home to this day. The ceiling in his bedroom was similar to the Great Hall of Hogwarts, and as a boy he would gaze at the sky, night or day, and imagine he was as far away from his fighting parents as possible. During the day, if the sky was a murky grey, he would imagine himself on the shores of a sunny Caribbean island. At night he would imagine he was somewhere far away, staring at the same moon, the same planets, wishing upon a shooting star that his parents would cease their fighting for just one day.

In his first year at Hogwarts, two days after his arrival, his father had owled him a letter informing him that his mother had decided to leave. She had packed her suitcases in the middle of the night and left to no one knows where. That Christmas, there had been no fighting. His father and he got along perfectly well, almost identical in both looks and personality, and there had been no clashes, simply mild mannered conversation. Since then, since his mother's abrupt departure, Scorpius had felt very few internal dilemmas so fierce enough to warrant him looking at the ceiling of his bedroom.

The first time following his parent's separation was in his fifth year, when the Potions Master had informed him that if he did not pick up his grades, the likelihood of him ever becoming a Healer (his lifelong ambition since he fell off his broomstick at age three and broke his arm) was next to nil. Over that Christmas Break, Scorpius had made a great deal of change within himself. His first move was to pour over his books, absorbing every single piece of knowledge relating to his classes possible. He was not unintelligent, he merely lacked motivation. He read his Potions textbook cover to cover twice, and when he had returned to school, he made sure to sever all ties with anyone who was likely to hamper his ability to achieve. At the end of the year when he received his O.W.L scores, Scorpius was pleased to find that he had received all Os, a mark only beaten (however slightly) by Rose Weasley.

In his sixth year, he had faced a somewhat less important dilemma. This one, something that his father had told him was quite common of sixteen year old males, was whether or not he was actually feeling more than mere lust for somebody. Normally when this mood struck Scorpius he would have immediately gone out and gotten a good shag from some daft bint, but this time, the feeling was different. He _had_ gone out and shagged some Ravenclaw girl as soon as school had resumed, but he had never quite gotten over the feeling that there was _something_ there. Of course, even if it was his father asking him who he held these feelings for, he never spoke a word, vowing to take his (somewhat startling) secret with him to the grave, lest word spread.

And now, at age eighteen, he was lying on his bed, staring up at a darkening blue sky.

His mind had been going a million miles a minute ever since he woke up at midday. He had fled Dominique's gathering just after midnight and had collapsed on his bed as soon as he arrived home. He had slept soundly, a combination of extreme overtiredness from work and the copious amounts of alcohol he had consumed, but when he woke, no matter what he did, he couldn't get one thing off of his mind.

Coffee and vanilla.

He had decided, sometime around three that afternoon, that those were the exact tastes of Rose Weasley. It had taken those first three hours of lying on his bed to figure out what her lips tasted like. They were soft and warm, slightly sticky from the makeup she had applied. At first he had been confused by the foreign flavours her mouth introduced; they were softer and sweeter than things he normally tasted, but he had quickly come to enjoy the new sensation. He thought it remarkable that something such as taste could be shared between two people in such a manner, though in the past he had never been particularly keen to really _taste_ a partner.

He licked his lips slowly at the thought, savouring the last remnants of her lips on his. He had had his hands on her hips, her body soft in all the right places beneath her tiny dress. Every part of her, every part that he could conjure to sober, waking memory, was warm and soft, and the few times his lips had strayed from hers to explore other regions of her face, her neck, her shoulders, he could taste nothing but coffee and vanilla. She had smelled, however, like her namesake, a delicate scent that consumed and enraptured him. He believed her to be consuming, mind-blowing, the one thing that would stay on his mind, like her taste stayed on his tongue, for days, weeks, months, _years_.

That thought scared him. He had never truly cared for anyone outside of himself, the exceptions being his father, Dante and Ingrid. And other than those three people who had been beside him through everything, he had rarely spared a thought for anyone else. So the belief that Rose Weasley could be so overwhelming as to ensnare his mind, his senses, his thoughts, was terrifying new ground for him.

He looked up at the ceiling, focusing on the moon which was making its presence clear, the stars that twinkled against the inky blackness of the night's sky, the few sparse clouds that passed by like whiffs of smoke. He shut his eyes against the sight, envisioning soft red hair and bright blue eyes, warm lips and pink cheeks. The faint taste of coffee still existed on his tongue and he made a mental note to try and recreate her exact flavour following dinner.

"Scor?" he heard his father call from outside the closed door, followed by three soft knocks. The door opened and Draco walked in, still dressed in his long black work robes. His father seemed to have barely aged, the only sign of his lost youth being a few sparse wrinkles around his eyes and a slightly receding hairline. "Dinner's ready."

Draco waited outside whilst Scorpius changed into less dishevelled clothes and splashed some water on his face, a vain attempt to drag him from his thoughts of the night prior. The walk to the dining room passed in silence though Scorpius was certain his father wanted to say something to him. Draco had been casting his son quick side glances the entire time, and finally, when they sat and their roast beef was placed in front of them by their house elf Waldo, he had enough.

"What?" Scorpius asked, cutting into a baked potato. "You've been looking at me like you have something to say since you came and got me for dinner, so what is it?"

"I'm just curious as to how things are. We've hardly spoken these past few months between your internship and my work at the company. I'm just curious. We're the only family we have, so I feel we should make more of an effort with communication," Draco said as he took a small sip of his wine.

"There's nothing to tell," Scorpius shrugged. "I work, I eat, I sleep, I see Dante and Ingrid. Not necessarily in that order."

"No one special?" Draco asked and Scorpius raised his brow questioningly at his father. Draco rarely inquired into his personal life, and when he did it was in a light joking manner or if it could be something that would hamper his future.

"Of course not," Scorpius sniffed. "Why do you ask?"

Draco took his time answering, cutting his second slice of beef into small, bite sized pieces and sipping his wine carefully before continuing. "I've just heard some things about a potential partner, and I was wondering if the rumours were true and you _were_ seeing this person."

"Well, they're not," Scorpius said sharply, almost entirely sure that his father was speaking of Hermione Weasley. He said nothing more though he was certainly curious to know if Rose was speaking about him to her mother. The thought was somewhat comforting, knowing that she perhaps thought of him outside of their meetings. The rest of the meal passed in silence and Scorpius excused himself as soon as he finished the last of his potatoes.

He escaped back to his wing of the manor, shedding his jeans and shirt in his bedroom and stepping into his en suite bathroom. He stripped out of his boxers and spoke aloud, causing hot water to pour from the showerhead. As soon as the water reached his desired temperature he stepped beneath the spray and let it soothe him, relaxing his muscles. He dunked his head under and opened his eyes, the warm water catching on his eyelashes and slowly trickling down his face.

His mind was still full of thoughts of Rose, thoughts which he had to get rid of if he had any chance of working efficiently by her side the next day. He sighed and gulped down some of the water before lathering himself up and shampooing his hair. He knew his sleep would be restless that night and sure enough, as soon as he had slid between the sheets on his bed and closed his eyes, the back of his eyelids glowed with the image of Rose. He groaned and rolled over, burying his face in his pillow, but still he could see her. Two more hours passed before he took a Sleeping Draught, effectively knocking him out until six o'clock with a delightfully dreamless sleep.

* * *

_**Rose Weasley's Apartment, Diagon Alley**_

_**22**__**nd**__** November, 2024**_

_**8:00 A.M.**_

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," Rose chanted to herself as she ran around her apartment, scraping together all of her belongings for the day. She had woken up barely fifteen minutes ago after having a fitful sleep full of dreams she wished she could forget. She had scrounged around for a Dreamless Sleep potion at three o'clock but to no avail, and instead she put up with her subconscious, though she refused to admit that they were desires of a sort.

She threw some Floo powder into her fireplace and clasped her slipped into her robes as she spun away to the hospital for work. She tumbled out in a rush and dusted the soot from the lime green fabric of her horrendous work robes. Smiling quickly at the receptionist who looked amused by her lateness, Rose jumped into a very full elevator and finally caught her breath.

She had been dreading facing Scorpius at work all of Sunday. Her day had been spent at her mother's house, desperately plotting a way she could avoid facing the smarmy blonde, but to no avail. Her mother had immediately trodden down the idea of skipping work and neither of them could come up with any ideas of how she could avoid him. She had come to the understanding that she would be forced to face him, no way around it, and the simple way to address the situation was to pretend it never happened.

The elevator dinged to a stop and the cool voice sounded (_"Level four, Spell Damage. Visitors please check in with reception_") and Rose emerged into the relatively quiet level. She made her way to the Janus Thickey Ward, her area of interest at the moment, smiling at the mediwitches and wizards she travelled by on her way. The Janus Thickey ward was protected by all sorts of spells and enchantments which made the doors impossible to pass through unless you were a Healer or had special visitation charms placed upon you.

The ward was painted in a soft yellow, made to be soothing and calming for the patients who were frequently in states of distress. Each room – for there was one per patient unless a family had specifically requested a joint room – was light and airy, again with yellow walls and plush carpeted floors. The whole level was quite aesthetically pleasing and once again very quiet, the only people there being Rose, Scorpius and two mediwitches who were tending to patients.

"Rose," Scorpius nodded at her in greeting and she let out a strangled sound in response. He raised his eyebrows but said nothing, instead handing her clipboard to her. "Lockhart needs some memory training and Moore will have to be cleaned up before her husband and daughter come to visit at noon. The mediwitches are doing the normal rounds until then. I'll take Lockhart considering his tendency to get a bit touchy with the female Healers."

He didn't say another word but swept away in a flurry of lime green, leaving Rose with the board for Lulu Moore. The woman's mind had been irreversibly injured by an unknown spell, her husband finding her when he returned from a Quidditch game late one Sunday. She had been pottering about the house, talking complete nonsense and had been admitted later that evening.

"Good morning, Mrs Moore," Rose smiled. "How are you feeling today?"

"Puh-lease call me Lulu, darling! _Mrs_ makes me sound _so_ old, and _I'm_ not even married!" the witch giggled. "Wait on a minute, darling. What's your name? I don't believe we've even _met_!"

"Oh, how rude of me!" Rose played along as she checked Lulu's vitals. "I'm Rose, and I'm here to help you clean up before your husband and daughter come in and see you."

"Husband and daughter? Rose, darling, what have you been smoking? Is there any for _me_? I'm only _seventeen_! How on earth would I be married and with a daughter already?"

"Right you are, sorry. Slip of the tongue," Rose smiled. "Well, you have some of your old friends coming to see you in a few hours, so I think it's time for a bath and for you to get all prettied up, don't you?"

"As long as I can get something at least _mildly_ more attractive than this old dress, I'll be happy. Honestly, it looks like I'm wearing a _hospital _gown!"

"Hungry?"

"What?" Rose asked, turning to Scorpius who had asked the question quite simply.

"I asked if you were hungry. You didn't seem to bring any lunch, and considering it's our lunch break and all…" he turned back to his locker and shrugged out of his green robe, hanging it up neatly inside. "And seeing as you bring a packed lunch to work each day, I was simply wondering if you had other plans."  
"No, I don't. I was running late and didn't have time to make my lunch today, and I had a very busy weekend which made preparing food in advance impossible," Rose said and sniffed. She ditched her robe, smoothing down her blouse beneath, and grabbed her purse.

"Would you like to join me for lunch?"

"I'm sorry, pardon?" she spluttered.

"You heard me."

"Why in Merlin's name would _you_ want _me_ to join you for lunch?"

"I know Lulu has the tendency to emphasize a lot of what she says, but it's a very annoying habit and you should learn to lay off it," he rolled his eyes and leaned back against his locker, rolling his sleeves up and crossing his arms. "Anyway, we have things I feel we need to discuss, and seeing as this is the only time we ever see each other, perhaps now is the best time to discuss them in."

"We have nothing to discuss," Rose slammed her locker. "I don't know what you're imagining we need to talk about, because I most certainly have no clue whatsoever. If you'll excuse me."

"Fucking hell, you're as stubborn as an old hippogriff," Scorpius growled. He pushed himself off the lockers and stepped in her way, effectively trapping her. "We have plenty to talk about, and you know it, so don't play dumb. I'm not giving you a choice here. We're going out for lunch. Get your coat."

"I'm sorry; I was under the impression that _you don't own me_!" Rose huffed, attempting to push herself past him. Unfortunately for her, though they were the same height, he was much denser, his muscles firm and built from Quidditch. His body barred her entirely from moving towards the exit. "Move."

"No."

"_Move_."

"_No_."

"_Move!_"

"_No._"

"MOVE!"

"I'm not going to move and you're not going to shut up, so I think the sensible solution is for you to give in and go out for lunch with me. Not that we'll be going far, considering your pigheadedness has costed us almost half of our lunch break, and, consequently, we only have thirty three minutes remaining until we're due back on rounds. What do you say?" Scorpius held out his arm to her.

"You are absolutely intolerable, and I refuse to pay for my meal," she sniffed.

"Fine. Let's go."

"So, how were you feeling yesterday morning?" Scorpius asked politely after they had sat down with their lunch, pouring them both a glass of water. They were at a small muggle café just around the corner from the hospital, chosen by Rose to decrease the likelihood of them being seen by anybody they knew.

"Wonderful until Dominique told me what I did," she said smarmily. Scorpius frowned at her sharp tone. He was well aware of the fact that she wouldn't be overjoyed with what had happened – hell, neither was he! – but he had hoped she would take it with a little more grace.

"And what exactly did you do?" he asked silkily. "I left early so I may not have been around for all of the exciting occurrences of what seemed to be a couples' night."

"You know precisely what I'm talking about. Don't try and be coy or cute or anything. It won't work. You know what…what _we_ did."

"Oh. That." Scorpius failed at keeping the smirk from his face, something which seemed only to anger Rose more. "Didn't you enjoy it?"

"What was there to enjoy?" she scoffed. "We kissed. That's all. There was nothing to enjoy."

"You don't remember?" His smirk faded into a frown.

"Remember what?"

"We weren't _just_ kissing," he said quietly, keeping his voice low to respect her privacy. "Well, _you_ weren't just kissing."

"What are you talking about, Scorpius?"

"You…" he was struggling to put it delicately, knowing she would not at all be happy when she found out. "You were, ah, how do I put this? You had your hand down my pants."

"I what?"

"You had your hand down my pants and you were in the process of…um, _pleasuring_ me."

"I beg your pardon?" Rose asked, clearly appalled by what he was saying.

"You were jerking me off on your cousin's couch while we made out," he replied bluntly. "Happy?"

"You're disgusting, and a liar at that," she snapped, throwing her paper napkin on the table. "I can't believe I even let you bring me here in the first place." She got up to storm away but Scorpius grabbed her wrist as she passed by him, her skin smooth and soft between his fingers. "Let me go, Malfoy."

"Wait," he said firmly and she glared at him with intense blue eyes. "Please."

"Why should I? So you can tell me more vulgar lies?"

"I'm not lying, Rose!" He cleared his throat and had the decency to look embarrassed at his raised voice. "Believe me. I'm not lying."

"I wouldn't do something like that. That's not the type of person I am."

"I'm not sure you know what sort of person you are after the amount of alcohol your cousin had there. Trust me, I have no need to lie about females jumping me, and you're no exception."

"If _I_ remember correctly-"

"Which you clearly don't –"

"You were the one who initiated the contact between us, which means _you_ jumped _me_. Anyway, we're going to be late."

Scorpius rolled her eyes and let go of her wrist to grab his jacket. He heard the bell at the front of the shop chime and when he turned around a moment later she was gone. Swearing under his breath at her, he tossed his jacket on and hurried out after her. "Rose!" He saw her brilliant mane of red hair disappear around the corner at the end of the block and he ran to catch up with her. "Rose, fucking hell! Wait!"

She turned at his curse and crossed her arms tightly against her chest, whether it was against the cold or in annoyance he could not tell. "What do you want?" she snarled when he reached her.

"Oh, I don't know, to resolve what we were discussing back there before you decided to be Miss Punctuality and ran off on me," he snapped back in return.

"There's nothing to discuss," she replied sharply. "Absolutely nothing. It was a mistake. That's all."

* * *

_**The Warlock Lounge**_

_**Later that evening…**_

"How's Rose?" Dante smirked at Scorpius, his smile faltering when he saw his best friend's fierce glare. "What's up?"

"A mistake," Scorpius growled. "A fucking _mistake_. That's all it was to her. All _I_ am to her. A mistake."

"I'll order another round of drinks."

They moved off to a more private booth, away from the hustle and bustle of the bar. Dante, as promised, did order two more firewhiskeys and a tray of Wiggling Witches shots, a strangely vibrant purple drink with blue streaks through it. "What exactly did she say, mate?" he asked Scorpius when they had found their seat. "Did she flat out say that it was a mistake?"  
"Yeah," the blonde groaned, downing one of the shots with a grimace. "She said that it was a mistake and there was nothing to talk about. And then she walked away and refused to look at me for the rest of the day." He finished with another shot, wincing again.

"Ouch, man. That sucks." Dante finished his firewhiskey and reached for one of the remaining shots. "At the risk of sounding like a complete wanker, you sort of sprung it on her. Y'know, mate, the whole wanking thing."

"How else was I meant to put it, genius?" Scorpius scowled, slurring his words slightly. "Fuck, man, if you knew the things I think about her…"

Dante leaned forward on his elbows, interested by the turn of conversation. It was a rarity to be let into Scorpius' mind, particularly when it concerned such a delicate matter. Dante knew he had to thank the alcohol for it. "What _do_ you think about her?"

"Man," Scorpius hiccoughed, "she's beautiful, you know. And, like, not in some pretentious way or in a fake way, get it? She's just beautiful. Don't tell her I said this, though. And she's smart. And, fuck, I don't even know. I just…she's amazing."

"Tell her," Dante shrugged as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Tell her what you think. That you think she's attractive and smart. She'll appreciate the truth, I'm sure."

"Maybe you're right. I dunno."

"What I know is that you're completely wasted and it's a Monday night," the Italian rolled his eyes. "C'mon, I'll get you back home."

* * *

_**Weasley/Granger Family Home, Surrey**_

_**5**__**th**__** December, 2024**_

_**Dinnertime**_

Rose was particularly proud of herself. She had successfully avoided all contact with Scorpius since their unfortunate lunch discussion almost three weeks ago, outside of mandatory meetings regarding work. She kept him entirely out of her mind as well, working so hard and making sure her apartment was in a perpetual state of hospital cleanliness that she had absolutely no spare moments to let her mind wander to him.

"So, I've been thinking about what we'll do this Christmas," Hermione announced and Rose looked up.

"Aren't we doing what we always do? Mum's for Christmas Eve and then Gin and Harry's for Christmas Day?" Ron frowned. "What else would we do?"

"I thought this year we could do something different," the brunette smiled placidly. "We've been invited to a Christmas charity ball, and I felt we should attend. I see no problem in doing something different now and again, and to be frank, we've had the exact same Christmas plans since you and I were dating."

"Who's throwing this soiree?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Draco is, at Malfoy Manor."

"_What_?" Rose and Ron exclaimed at the same time, leading Hermione to roll her eyes.

"Rose, I expected that reaction from your father, but I imagined you'd take it with a little more grace," Hermione sighed. "There's no arguing required. I've already told Draco we'll all be there, with the exception of Hugo who is staying at Hogwarts for the holiday. Ron, you'll need to buy some new dress robes."

"Mum-," Rose began.

"I told you, there's no use arguing. You and I will be going shopping next weekend to find a suitable dress. And don't worry, Dominique's boyfriend is invited so I'm sure she'll be going, too. Albus, as well," Hermione said firmly.

Rose fell back in her seat, surrendering. Her only chance was that she would be able to find a date and successfully avoid Scorpius for the entire evening, though being in such proximity with nothing to distract her other than champagne and dancing made her opportunities dismal. Her father was bickering about how unjust it was that he had to attend the function, but Rose knew he had no hope of swaying her mother's mind.

"I'm going to head off. I'll talk to Dom about this whole thing and I'll give you a call later in the week to organize shopping," Rose tossed her napkin onto the table, ignoring her half eaten dinner.

"Rose, darling, please _try_ a little harder. I know you're not a fan of Scorpius, but your friends will be there and you can't let him spoil Christmas," Hermione had followed her into the lounge room where the fire was crackling merrily. "It will be fantastic, I'm sure, and if it's not, you can leave as soon as you'd like."

"Thanks, mum," Rose smiled lightly as Hermione kissed her forehead. "I'll see you next weekend."

Vanishing in a rush of green flames, Rose stepped out into the lounge of her cousin's apartment. "Ugh, gross, can you guys please keep your tongues in your own mouths. I did _not_ need to see that," she groaned at the sight of Dom and Dante attacking each other quite ferociously. "Dom, we need to talk. Dante, it'd be greatly appreciated if you could keep your saliva – and any other bodily fluids – to yourself and also leave. I need to talk to my cousin, or has she forgotten she's my best friend?"

"Fuck, sorry," Dominique extricated herself from Dante's grasp and stood up. "Dante, I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay? I promised Rose we'd catch up tonight." Reluctantly, Dante stood up and kissed his girlfriend once more. "Love you, bye."

"Sorry," Rose sighed, falling onto the now vacant couch. "That was rude, I know. But Mum just sprung the news that Draco Malfoy invited us to the annual Malfoy Christmas Eve Ball, and our attendance is compulsory."

"Oh, yes, Dante mentioned that he and I'd be going," Dominique said, smoothing out her top. "By the way, I love your dress. Purple suits. But what's the problem with the ball? I've wanted an invitation to it for years, since we were kids, actually. It's meant to be incredible."

"Hm, let's refresh, shall we?" Rose said irritably as she shrugged out of her coat. "Does Scorpius Malfoy ring a bell? I can avoid him at work because we don't have to be in contact the majority of the time, and when we are together, we're generally up to our elbows in sick patients. But at this ball, what's there to distract me?"

"Good point," Dom frowned. "What about you bring a date? Then he can distract you, and you won't have to be in contact with Scorpius. How do you know he even wants to talk to you?"

"I don't, Dominique, but I can't take that risk."

"I see. Well, I'll get onto the task of finding you a date to bring, and you just worry about turning up and looking pretty."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! It means so much to me, really. Also, I'd just like to let you know that I've put up pictures for this story. These include character pictures and outfits for the ladies. I have some special outfits planned (and already put together) for the ball. That chapter will (hopefully) be out in the next week. School resumes next Tuesday and I'm going into my Senior year, so I'll probably be a bit weighed under with it all.**

**Pictures are here (remember to remove all the spaces!): http : / / s770 . photobucket . com / albums / xx345 / Dustmites / Less% 20Than%20 Friends/**

**Please, tell me what you think of the story so far!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: There is nothing I can say which will excuse the horrific lateness of this update. Real life has intervened, as well as the beginnings of my (hopeful) career as a published author, so I've been a bit more occupied with those things. Enjoy, and please review! I'll hopefully get a chapter out within the next couple of weeks (I'm on a break from everything for the next month or so) and that will probably be the conclusion to this story.**

* * *

_**Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire**_

_**24**__**th**__** December, 2024**_

_**Evening**_

Rose had to admit, absolutely everything was perfect. Her dress, the most extravagant piece of clothing she had ever worn, was perfect. With its long black train and intricate gold detailing, she felt like a princess. And, according to her cousins, her parents, and the majority of people she had been introduced to, she looked like one, too. Her hair had been curled and pinned up to frame her face and cascade down her back, and when she spun her dress fanned out around her.

"Rose, your date just walked in over there," Dominique whispered into her ear. The blonde looked immaculate, as always. Her dress was black and shimmery and fell to the floor softly, barely concealing her bright red heels. "Go on, go and say hello. He's looking for you."

Rose couldn't hide her smile as she saw who her cousin had picked out for her. Standing at over six feet tall, Noah Wood gave her a dazzling smile back and made his way over to her. Son of Oliver Wood, Keeper for Puddlemere United, Noah had graduated two years prior as Head Boy. "You're all grown up, Rose," he greeted her and brought her hand to his lips, grazing it softly. "You look wonderful."

"Thank you," she flushed under his admiration. "You look good, too."

He led her to the dance floor which was swarming with couples and they began to move in time to the music, twirling about as Noah spoke of his work at the Ministry of Magic. After half an hour had passed of simple swaying and spinning and Noah's incessant chatter about his position, his family, his budding career, his hair, and anything else relating to him he could think of, Rose excused herself politely.

After winding her way through the crowds of people she found the powder room, slipping in quietly and locking the door behind her. Rose couldn't help but giggle to herself in the wide room at Dominique's choice. It was assured that Noah was dreadfully handsome, but she was certain her cousin had not taken his ridiculous arrogance into account – Dom was more concerned with appearances than personality, particularly when she wasn't searching for a date of her own.

Once her makeup was back in place and her hair neatened, Rose returned to the party. She could see that Noah had gotten distracted by a petite blonde thing in the corner so she deemed herself able to carry on with her evening without worrying about avoiding him. A waiter passed by and she grabbed a glass of champagne from the tray he carried as she looked for someone to talk with. Dominique was spinning around the floor with Dante, her dress fanning out beautifully at the bottom. Her parents were laughing with Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny about something as James and Lily danced with their respective dates. At last Rose's eyes landed on Albus. He was standing by himself, watching his younger sister dance with just one out of many gentlemen she had danced with. Rose wound her way through the crowds, stopping to shake one or two hands on the way.

"Al," she said, relieved to have reached him.

"Rosie," he embraced her tightly. "You look great, unsurprisingly. Where's your date, though? Dominique told me she had reeled Noah Wood in to accompany you."

"Probably off shagging some blonde girl. He's great to look at, but he can't talk about anything unless he can relate it to his hair in some way."

"I still don't understand why Dom chose him for you. The plan was that you'd have someone to distract you from talking to Scorpius, but if you choose someone as dull as a rake then I haven't a clue how that'd work out," Albus rolled his eyes. "Then again, I'm assuming she was basing it more on looks than anything else."

"No doubt. Speaking of dates, where's yours?"

"Just over there, talking to mum and dad by the looks of it. She went to the bathroom and I guess mum ambushed her."

Rose turned to spy over the heads of the crowds. Indeed, Ingrid was in talks with Ginny and Harry, all three of them looking very relaxed. Similar to most of the guests there, Ingrid had pulled out all the stops for the night. Her dress shimmered with every movement, the gold complimenting her very tastefully. Looking back to Albus, she realised just how smitten he was with Ingrid. He was standing slightly on his toes, gazing at her with a very soft look on his face, something Rose rarely saw unless he was looking at his close family. With one last kiss on the cheek between Ingrid, Ginny and Harry, Albus' beau glided over, kissing him softly on the cheek with her arrival.

"Rose, you look nice," she said upon arrival. She appeared far more relaxed than usual, arm loosely around Albus' waist and a small smile on her face. "I _love_ your dress."

"Thanks?" Rose frowned, unsure of how to react to her niceties. "You look lovely as well."

"Don't be so shocked by my compliments, Rose!" Ingrid rolled her eyes, looking more like her usual self. "I'm actually quite nice, once you get to know me. Your cousins can attest to that, can't you babe?"

Albus grinned at his date and kissed her cheek lightly. "She's right, Rosie. Really, I'd appreciate it if you could at least _try_ to get along with her, and I know Dom would like it if you tried to get on with Dante. He's really very nice."

Rose sighed and rolled her eyes at her cousin, having heard the same speech numerous times before. She had honestly tried to accommodate her cousins' partners in a much more open and relaxed fashion, but having endured seven years of torment from one particular Slytherin who happened to be the best friend of both people, she was struggling.

"I've heard it all before, Al," Rose said, her tone sharper than she had intended. "You two have a lovely evening. I think I'm going to go and look at the grounds and then return home."

Heading towards the grand doors which lined one side of the ballroom, Rose heard her cousin calling her name exasperatedly, but she walked on. Most people were dancing with a few of the older guests sitting at the round tables dotted throughout the room with their champagne and meals, leaving the path clear for Rose to navigate. The doors swung open at her presence and she tugged the train of her dress through after her.

Heating Charms had been strategically performed along the balcony, keeping the warmth of inside despite the snow which fell lightly on the other side of the railing. The area was breathtaking. Fairies hung around at various places, casting a very light, soft glow on the location. Roses bloomed wonderfully from pots and ornately carved stone benches gave the entire space a very romantic look.

Though the stone railing was cool, Rose leant her forearms against it anyway and looked out over the gardens. In the dim light she could still see the extravagance of the grounds – in the distance she could just make out a maze, and a large pond, as well as a small building she could only assume to be a greenhouse of some sort.

"You'll freeze to death out here," said a silky voice and Rose looked over her shoulder to see Scorpius. He looked dashing, attired in all black dress robes aside from a dark green bowtie, his hair looking slightly neater than usual. Despite being somewhat floored by his appearance (_Merlin_! The things she could do to that!), Rose remained stiff.

"Heating Charms. I'll be fine."

"They'll only last so long," Scorpius joined her in leaning on the railing, though he left a good distance between them. "Why are you out here, anyway?"

"I needed some air."

"As far as I'm aware, there's plenty of oxygen in there," he smirked at his own joke though she made no move to acknowledge his humour. "Honestly, Weasley. You'll definitely freeze to death with an attitude that icy."

"Ha, how witty," Rose pulled away from the railing, prepared to return to the party in favour of talking with Scorpius. She was not prepared to let so many weeks of avoidance go to waste in just a few seconds. "I wish I could say it's been great talking to you, but I'm afraid that just isn't true."

Gathering her skirt and train, she moved back towards the doors to the ballroom. Before she could get far, however, Scorpius reached forward and wrapped his hand around her wrist. "Not so fast, Rose," her name slipped easily off his tongue and she shuddered as memories of her dream came back to her. "We still have a lot to talk about and I'm not letting you get away that easily."

"We have _nothing_ to talk about," Rose said and pulled her arm from his grasp. "It was a mistake, a drunken mistake. What happened was nothing more than that, so I don't know what you think we need to talk about."

"You are as aware as I am that what happened was not just a drunken mistake, Weasley," his tone was darker now and he had reverted to using her last name. "Don't you walk away from me. Not again."

Rose's hands slackened from the fists they had formed and the bunches of fabric of her dress fell back into place. "You'll have to forgive me if I want to leave what happened between us as a drunken mistake. I don't want anything else, and certainly not from _you_ of all people. Even if we did what we did, that doesn't change the fact that you've tormented me for _seven_ years of my life. I don't want anything more to do with you than I have to."

"You're going to write any chance with me off because I was a _kid_? Because I acted like boys do?"

"A kid!" she tossed her head back and laughed. "I wasn't aware that _seventeen_ was still considered a child. And I've been told quite recently that you've only stopped acting immaturely because you want nothing more than to get into my pants. Face it, Malfoy. You're a dick."

"Who told you that?" Scorpius' voice was low and he took a step forward as though he were a lion and she his fragile prey. "Who said that?"

"It's none of your business," she sniffed and felt herself shiver. Scorpius was right – the Heating Charm was wearing off on her. He took another step towards her and all at once she began to fear him.

"Tell. Me." Scorpius took one more step and extended his arms out, effectively pinning her against the banister, his arms a cage. She looked from side to side, searching for anyway out of her predicament. "You aren't getting out until you tell me."

She tried to swallow through the nervous lump which had formed in her throat, biting down on her lower lip. "Why do you care? It's true, isn't it? You're not exactly renowned for being a one-woman guy. That's all you want from any woman. To put another notch in your bed post and then kick them out into the cold." Rose regained some of her confidence as she spoke, standing up to her full height. She was taller than him in her high heels yet his presence seemed to make him loom above her.

"Of course I care, Rose," he leaned forward slightly and she shrunk back down again. "Who said that?"  
"Dante and Ingrid," she said and immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. She had been trying to protect the privacy of her cousins' partners, but something about Scorpius' proximity was making her anxious.

"Of course," Scorpius shook his head. A rush of air escaped from between Rose's lips as he pushed away from the rail and chuckled dryly. "There was never a doubt in my mind that they'd tell you, only I thought you were smarter than that, Rose."

The redhead sniffed and crossed her arms beneath her bust, glaring at him. "I don't know if you're aware of this, but the best way to a girl's heart _is not_ through insults."

He let out a dry chuckle and moved towards her once more, but this time his presence was not intimidating. Instead, a trace of the trademark Malfoy Smirk was growing and his eyes sparkled. In a move much bolder than Rose had anticipated, Scorpius reached out and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. She sucked in air nervously at his touch. "I figured you might like wit more than my…_other_ ways of seduction. Or would you prefer I take a more direct approach?"

"What exactly does this approach entail, exactly?" Rose shivered again involuntarily, wishing she had a jacket. She was aware Scorpius had noticed this tiny action and would certainly take advantage of it.

Her stomach flipped as his tongue darted out to wet his lips and the smirk fully formed on his place. "Trust me, _Rose_, my usual approach would definitely warm you up. However, my more common methods of seduction somehow don't seem fitting to woo you. You're different, Weasley. There's something about you which sets you apart from the rest. And besides, what would your family say if I chased after you like we had no history? Like our parents didn't _despise_ each other for almost a decade? How do you think that brood of fire-headed minions you have would react? It isn't as though my family has the cleanest past. I come from a family of dark wizards and hell, you're the poster child of the wizarding world."

"So? What does that have to do with anything? My mother and your father set aside their grudges a long time ago," her lips twitched upwards at the corners. "And whatever happens, my mum will always be able to keep my dad and the rest of his family in check."

"What do you mean your mother and my father 'set aside their grudges'?" Rose's laugh tinkled in the cool night air at the bewildered look on Scorpius' face. "Whatever, keep your stupid little secrets to yourself, then. That wasn't why I came out here to talk to you."

A neatly arched ginger eyebrow rose slightly. "Such a shame for you, then, because that's all I wanted to talk about." She brushed past him and returned inside where the warmth was immediately enveloping and her body shook with the change in temperature.

Rose pushed her way through the crowds for a few moments before looking behind her to see Scorpius craning his neck to find her. She smiled to herself and slipped through a gap between two groups until she was right at the centre of the area cleared for dancing. Colours spun around her, elegant dresses fanned out, dapper gentlemen glided around with laughing women. She felt out of place in the middle of it all until a hand rested on her waist and began to lead the way. Distracted by her escape, Rose did not notice she was dancing with her pursuer until her mouth opened to thank her saviour.

"No need to be grateful, Weasley," Scorpius said. "Instead, I feel I should be thanking you for allowing me to dance with you, though at the moment you seem to have two left feet. Perhaps you need to stand on my feet to allow us to dance properly?"

It felt as though somebody had punched a hole in Rose's stomach when he started speaking. She thought she had successfully evaded him for the evening (though there was no concrete reason as to _why_ she was avoiding him. Being in such close proximity was sending flutters through her chest and although she was attempting to deny the feelings, she knew what the wings meant). Refusing to give him any more ammunition against her, Rose brought back the one year of classical dance training she had taken when she was younger in an attempt to show the smarmy Slytherin up. She allowed him to lead but still managed to make minor corrections in his technique, ignoring the amused look he had plastered across his smug face as they twirled together.

His hand on her waist. The skin beneath the fabric burned with his touch. She wanted to quell the feelings she was having; the flip-flop of her stomach and the butterflies in her torso. Each time they moved closer together with the swell of the music, her heart would beat a little faster and she became incredibly conscious of every aspect of her body. Were her hands sweaty? Hair a mess? Makeup smudged? If he were to say anything, even an offhand comment about the price of unicorn hair in Canada, she was certain her face would colour.

"Is it hot in here or is it simply me?" Scorpius waggled his eyebrows with the question as though he could sense her insecurity. As she had believed, Rose could feel her face flushing at his words. He chuckled and spun her beneath his arm as the music flourished. "You seem a little warm. Care for a drink?"

"So you can spike it or do something equally as vile?" Rose said after allowing herself a few moments to gather her thoughts. "No thank you!"

"As I've told you before, Rose, believe it or not, but I like my women to be conscious and willing," he rolled his eyes. "Besides, I don't shag on the first date." He tossed a lewd wink in her direction and she feigned gagging, much to Scorpius' amusement.

"When did this become a _date_? Or did I miss the part where you weren't being a complete arsehole? I forget. All the spiked drinks you've fed me must have muddled with my memory."

"Oh, ha-bloody-ha, Weasley. You're absolutely hilarious."

She winked at him, curling her upper lip in a smirk worthy of matching his own. The music began to slow even further and the couples moved closer together, the dancing far more intimate. Scorpius drew her in so their bodies were flush against each other, his hand impossibly tight against her waist. Any humour had been sucked out by the changing beat. This was not flirtatious. This was hardcore sexual tension and her very essence was on fire. Everywhere she moved, she was surrounded by the essence of Scorpius. His physique which was keeping her firmly in place, his laughter which seemed to ring in her ears though his mouth had stopped moving, his smell which made her mouth water.

"Did I mention how utterly delectable you look this evening?" His lips brushed against the sensitive skin of her ear and she swallowed. Her knees quaked. "That dress is perfect on you. It leaves just the right amount to the imagination." Scorpius paused, moving one hand from her waist to brush back a curl which had been resting on her collarbone. Goosebumps formed where his fingers brushed and he ran over them softly with his thumb. "Beautiful."

"Scorpius," his name was scarcely a whisper from her lips, instead coming out as a hoarse croak. He paid no attention to her voice, and it soon slipped her mind when he ducked his head to press a chaste kiss to the area. Heat spread through her as her stomach clenched at his touch. This was nothing she had experienced before. _This_ was pure sexual desire, blatant lust burning a trail along her skin. "Scorpius," she repeated and this time he stopped as if realising his position.

His lips moved away and she caught sight of his dilated pupils. The silver eyes he normally possessed were nearly black, and with their bodies so close she could feel evidence of his excitement against her. Her body ached and she unconsciously drew herself closer to him. His grasp tightened until they were almost completely wrapped around each other with not a single space between them. The world could collapse around them and neither would have noticed.

Scorpius' breathing quickened as Rose's body shifted against him and she bit her lip. She could scarcely deny that this, this blinding, burning _lust_ was what she wanted, but what she was doing, what Scorpius was about to do, seemed all too fast for her.

As if sensing her hesitations, her suitor managed to control himself enough to pull away slightly, releasing her from his grasp. He adjusted himself to disguise any hint of their activities and chanced a small smile at her. She was still shaken up, her body still far too hot, blood pumping, heart pounding, stomach clenching. "Shall we get a drink?" he offered. "It's very hot in here."

"I think I need to use the bathroom, actually," Rose managed to uproot her feet and slip through the throngs of people. She needed distance, to be as far away from Scorpius Malfoy as this event would allow, and a splash or two of cold water wouldn't go astray. The bathroom was mercifully empty and she ducked in, leaning against the counter for support.

Other than being marginally flushed, which anyone would attribute to the alcohol she had consumed and the compression on the dance floor, she looked as though she had just arrived. Her hair was still in place, her makeup still perfectly applied, and there were no marks or signs to show that she had been involved in any activities than polite socialisation.

On the inside, she ached. Her skin was still on fire after she splashed her face with water (immediately remedying the effects this had on her makeup with a few flicks of her wand and a couple of simple spells Dominique had taught her) and her legs still felt as though they were made of jelly. She took several deep breaths until her heartbeat returned to a moderately healthy pace and her temperature had decreased, still observing her reflection.

The doorknob began to tilt and before she could say anything, the music was flooding through behind Dominique, who looked like the cat who caught the canary. Dom shut the door and twisted the lock closed behind her and Rose unconsciously stepped away from her cousin, the blonde's enthusiasm radiating throughout the room. Unlike Rose, Dominique's previously flawless appearance had not been retained, and instead she was emanating the trademark post-sex glow.

"Don't pretend nothing happened because I saw you two and it was _hot_," Dominique had cornered Rose until the redhead had stumbled and fallen to sit atop the closed toilet lid. "Spill."

"Dom, you sound like a bitchy fourth year," Rose said. "Do we have to talk about this now? I'm tired and I'd much rather go home. It can wait until morning."

"Rose, Dante is currently interrogating your little lover boy, and one of you is bound to spill the details. So, either you tell me firsthand, or I get to hear Scorpius' version, and I'm sure he'll leave in all the juicy details which you're bound to gloss over. Which version would you rather I hear first, hm?" Dominique asked, flicking her own wand to conjure a stool she could sit on. "Your choice."

Rose was certain that Scorpius would tell Dante precisely what had happened, and his account would definitely be far cruder than Rose's. "Fine," she huffed. "But after this I'm going straight back to my apartment and putting up every security and privacy spell I know, so don't you try and surprise me with Malfoy wrapped in a big red ribbon."

"I was thinking green would go better with his complexion…"

"Dominique," Rose clucked her tongue and her cousin grinned. "You've put way too much thought into this. Anyway, I just went outside to get a breather, he followed me, we talked, and yes, just talked, about a lot of things. Our parents, what happened at that party, things like that. And then I came inside, he followed me, we danced, and then I decided to use the bathroom and take a break."

"You forgot the part where he left a wicked hickey on your collarbone," Rose's companion sniggered and she stood up in horror, leaning closer to the mirror. Sure enough, what she had at first thought to be just the signs of her overheating was instead forming the makings of a small – but blatant – love bite. She elicited a low groan and vainly tried to rub it out of existence, prompting laughs from her cousin. "Just use a concealment charm and it'll vanish, unless you want something to remember tonight by."

"Dominique!" Rose said, twirling around to face her cousin. "Ugh, I can't believe this all happened. I promise to tell you everything that happened tomorrow night if you serve as a human shield for me so I can get to a Disapparition point. I just want to get out of this dress and these shoes."

"I'm sure Scorpius could think of another way of getting out of that dress, but he might be a kinky bastard and make you keep the shoes on," Dominique ducked out of the way of Rose's slap. "Alright, let's go. Dante is going to want to tell me everything that happened between you and Scorpius anyway, but I suppose I should be a good friend and help you escape, anyway. Though, if I were in your shoes, I'd stay behind and see if a night with Scorpius Malfoy is all that it's cracked up to be."

"Shut up and cover me, would you?"

Rose quickly magicked a concealment charm over the mark just below her neck and snuck out of the bathroom behind Dominique. Moving along the walls, they escaped from the glittering ballroom and into the entrance hall were a few guests were shrugging their coats on or off.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Dom," Rose embraced her cousin quickly, but froze when she saw Scorpius waiting at the doorway to the bathroom, Dante by his side. "Shit."

Her cousin escaped from her grasp and nudged her towards the Disapparition points. "Dante!" the blonde cooed, all but throwing herself into her boyfriend's arms. The sight distracted Scorpius for a moment, allowing Rose just enough time to disappear with a loud crack. She held her breath through the tube of apparition and landed with a light stumble in her living room.

True to her word, she kicked off her heels and flexed her toes before casting multiple privacy and security spells, ensuring no one would be able to gain access to her apartment without her explicit permission. She traded her dress for her most comfortable pair of pajamas, let her hair fall free from its confines, and curled up in bed.

* * *

_**Zabini Estate**_

_**Christmas Day, 2024**_

_**Noon**_

"At least you know one thing, mate," Dante said as he shrugged on a jacket and checked his hair in the mirror.

"Yeah, what'd that be?" Scorpius lounged on his best mate's bed, feet dangling off the end and head propped up on clasped hands.

"She definitely has the hots for you."

"Funnily enough, I'd worked that out for myself by the time I started macking on her neck," the blonde rolled his eyes whilst Dante threw him a rude hand gesture. "I'm well aware of her feelings towards me…I just need to get her to admit them."  
Dante finished primping and turned back, hands in his pockets. "I can always get Dom to help with that. She's obsessed with you two. Seriously, mate, it's been a saga between you and Rose, and Dom has been following every step of the way. She's going to burst soon if there aren't any developments soon."  
"You make it sound like a bloody experiment."

The Italian snorted. "Sometimes I think Dom believes it is. Anyway, if you're that determined to get the truth out of her, why don't you go to her place tonight and confront her? You've never been one to shy from confrontation in the past, Scor." He fell into an overstuffed armchair and crossed his legs at the ankle.

"Fuck it, I'm _sick_ of going to her. I've made my position clear on more than one occasion, and she's just too bloody stubborn to do the same," Scorpius slapped his hand against the silk sheets. "I'm sick of chasing her. If she really wants me, she can find me herself."

"You do realise that she is, though it's hardly possible, more stubborn than you are, right? The likelihood of her _ever_ coming to _anyone_ is ridiculous. Just don't take it personally."

Scorpius growled and sat up, rushing his hand through his hair. "Fucking stubborn Weasley."


End file.
